Looking Forward. By Michael Albert and Robin Hahnel

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  2.Participatory Workplaces

 

 

The life under the capitalist system was a life condemned to death below the earth -and your children also; that's what they were good for. They were lucky if they made sixth grade; that was really special. Only the strongest could work. Those without good physiques could not... Look, I don't mean this in any way personally, but listen American. There used to be a barrio here they called barrio americano, where only Americans lived, the administrators, technicians, and so forth; and on the door of their social club was a sign, "Only for members." Now there is a social club for all of us. We are all members now. Everyone.

-A Cuban miner, 1969

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We see rooms where plates are prepared and can't get out quickly enough - -,the fumes are overpowering. We ask whether workers in this room get more time off or whether the job is rotated, and no one even understands our question."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The duty of every revolutionary is to make the revolution. It is known that the revolution will triumph in America and throughout the world, but it is not for revolutionaries to sit in the doorways of their houses waiting for the corpses of imperialism to pass by. The role of Job doesn't suit a revolutionary. Each year that the liberation of America is speeded up will mean the lives of millions of children saved, millions of intelligences saved for culture, an infinite quantity of pain spared the people.

  -Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro Speaks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let me say, with the risk of appearing ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by strong feelings of love. It is impossible to think of an authentic revolutionary without this quality. This is perhaps one of the greatest dramas of a leader, [to] combine an impassioned spirit with a cold mind and make painful decisions without flinching one muscle... In these conditions one must have a large dose of humanity, a large dose of a sense of justice and truth, to avoid falling into dogmatic extremes, avoid falling into cold scholasticism, into isolation from the masses... Above all, always be capable of feeling any injustice committed against anyone anywhere in the world. That is the most beautiful quality of a revolutionary.

-Che Guevara

Man and Socialism in Cuba

 

Simon Bolivar Press - The Anti-imperialist Version

 

Imagine we visit our island and interview Mario, the manager of the nationalized Simon Bolivar Press. He shows us around, describes the plant, and answers questions. Mario proudly reports that the press no longer prints what North Americans dictate. Since the revolution and until very recently emphasis was on books for school children and a few magazines. Now, since more modem printing facilities installed in a distant province produce all the books, Simon Bolivar prints almost exclusively magazines, brochures, flyers, and posters. Equipment is run down since spare parts are hard to get and there is little foreign exchange to replace outmoded pre -revolutionary models from the U.S. But unlike prerevolutionary times, today all the skilled printers and engineers are from the island. Our manager friend is justifiably proud of the fact that he and all managers and staff are products of a school system that teaches all citizens without prejudice and a health -care and food system that keeps the island's citizenry healthy and comfortable. "There is no more colonialism. There is no more prostitution, gambling, export of our wealth and our lifeblood. We are independent and, despite Western hostility, we are making our mark in the world," says Mario.

 

He then takes us on a tour of the plant. The walls have a few posters but are otherwise bare. Paint and many other supplies from the West are in short supply due to trade sanctions. Most typewriters are old fashioned. Typesetting equipment is 10 to 25 years out of date. Ironically, given the embargo, technicians apologize for this, asking questions about new technologies. The staff and workers show amazing creativity and tenacity in their ability to scrounge parts and master the innards of their outdated equipment, keeping it productive long after it would have been written off elsewhere.

 

Workers have regular breaks and everyone earns enough to get by reasonably well in light of the low cost of living and fine social services. Those who have worked longer or hold more responsible or technical positions earn more, but promotions are frequent, training is offered to anyone who wants it, and lines of authority are more flexible than in the past. We observe that women are mostly assigned to typing and typesetting, and are told that these particular women like this work, but that anyone who wishes to do more interesting tasks can take free courses and move up when job openings occur. We are introduced to the female manager of the magazine -preparation wing, a highly responsible position. We ask what she earns relative to Mario, who manages the plant, and hear that her salary is a bit higher because she does more skilled labor. Sensing our surprise, Mario quickly adds that he has the perk of a company car. He claims he doesn't want us to get the wrong impression. They have done wonders with income distribution, but all is not perfect yet. They are still developing.

 

Mario is black, but so are most of the men who work in the noisier parts of the factory. He accepts our implicit criticism, but tells us change takes time. We see rooms where plates are prepared and can't get out quickly enough -the fumes are overpowering. We ask whether workers in this room get more time off or whether the job is rotated, and no one even understands our question. We explain that working in this room, or in the noisy parts of the printing room, is much less desirable than working in quieter, cleaner sections, so we wonder if there is any compensation or sharing. "No," they say, amused, "that would be impossible. But workers can go to school and get promotions."

 

This pattern repeats frequently throughout the tour. Without even asking, we continually hear about technology and characteristics of finished products. Every description is careful and passionate and whenever we ask, we also get lively responses about wages, promotions, and schedules. However, inquiries about social relations, decision -making, and job definition baffle our hosts. When we persist, they answer honestly and without irritation, but also without interest. Our hosts clearly find this part of the discussion a waste of time. Why bother to spend time discussing a dimension of work organization that simply must be the way it is?

 

We hear how schools have absorbed much scarce investment resources and how the whole new generation is now well educated. Now resources can be allocated to other ends as well, including improving the plant to eliminate smelly, dangerous fumes. We have no doubt that Mario means it and hopes for it. But he doesn't understand the notion that as long as such a room exists, no one should have to work there more than anyone else. He fails to note that fans would make a difference, much less that the whole plant could be involved in decision making. When we press the point, he isn't hostile to these ideas, just dubious. We ask which members of the new generation -all of whom have a good education -are going to accept work in the smelly room while others escape it, and he admits there will have to be changes.

 

We ask what kind of changes, and he says he doesn't know for sure but that already to get enough bus drivers -the buses are smelly and very crowded new recruits have to be paid higher wages than many technicians and managers. When we ask whether he minds this, he says no, their work is uncomfortable and stressful and they deserve more. Mario is by no means a cynical defender of elite privileges. But idealism aside, he is at a loss for new ideas about job structure .

 

We get similar answers from everyone we talk with. The revolution has overcome imperialism, and this gives people pride and a feeling of accomplishment. The revolution has sharply reduced poverty, degradation, and ignorance, and greatly advanced the quality of life. But the revolution has not yet addressed issues of self -management or workers' solidarity. It is a coordinator economy with great elan and idealism among managers and technicians. But each day that these leaders deliver new orders and accumulate new advantages some of their idealism slips away. Workers enjoy vastly improved circumstances and have great hope for their children. But each day that they inhale fumes, obey orders, and get bored, some of their optimism dies. They are not prepared and may become steadily less prepared to govern their own workplaces and the economy as a whole. Democracy in opportunity and outcome, and in rewards and decision making, is absent. Even though the contrast to life for all but a tiny elite in other countries in the region is dramatic, it may prove insufficient in the eyes of most citizens if remaining problems are not addressed.