TECHNOLGY- THE SUPREME MASTER

.The equation is now no longer between just the manufacturer and his labour and by extension ,the Unions. In fact it is the   human gift of innovation  and the devising of new technologies, that will dictate and subjugate  all . Exploding demand in developing economies and a wave of innovation in materials, manufacturing processes, and information technology are driving today’s new possibilities for manufacturing. From nanotechnologies ,microelectronics , additive manufacturing systems ( 3D printing) and  emerging new materials and methods are set to revolutionise how products are designed and made. The relationship between employment and employability now becomes highly dynamic.The riveter of yesteryear's yielded to the welder and now to robot. The programmer and his computer replaced the comptometrist. Machining and moulding are outmoded by 3D printers.
                             The third player,the state and its political class however has done little to keep up   with the times. They pander to labour to protect historical vote banks rather than work for growing the economy thus ensuring greater inclusiveness for all, lest they be seen as  pro Capitalist   Take the Left leaning France where Jobs in the manufacturing sector are simply  vanishing; 400,000 lost in the past five years.  Its contribution to  European exports of manufactured goods fell to 13.1 % from 15.7 %  a decade ago. Its ratio  manufacturing  /  GDP is the lowest among Eurozone countries: 9.3% , half of Germany's 18.7 . Back home , our socialist leaning and pro-labour  centre, stifled national growth till the reforms era of the '90s and militant trade unionism in  W'Bengal, de -industrialised  the state in just  three decades .For a politician,giving labour lasting inclusiveness through growth needs
time and genuine toil , where as pampering  labour into  returning them to  power even at great national cost, is so easy. As we advance into the future, the labour, the employer and the state must learn to address the imperatives of a galloping technology . They must band together to protect their common stake against this newly emerging  master.Better still befriend him with labour constantly  matching up its skills,  employer  abiding  by bi lateral  agreements and a pro active state that keeps upgrading  educational / training levels and  is alive to changing realities in business and manufacturing. 

 lllllllll      R.NARAYANAN ,GHAZIABAD .       lllllllllll

( PUBLISHED FIN EXPRESS JULY 12 )