II. The Workers' Reaction: A Company Foreman
Because operating the machines mainly required training ordinary workers – if at all possible those among the established staff – and putting them on piece-work, the so-called “American hall” soon became the target of bitter Socialist attacks. Employees simply did not like the massive acceleration of the work process. It took a long time for the old artisans in the workshop to resign themselves to it.
Source: Recollections of the foreman Jacobi [Werner von Siemens-Institut, Munich] cited in Jürgen Kocka, Unternehmensverwaltung und Angestelltenschaft am Beispiel Siemens 1847-1914 [The Siemens Business Administration and Workforce 1847-1914]. Stuttgart: Klett, 1969, p. 126.
Reprinted in Gerhard A. Ritter and Jürgen Kocka, eds., Deutsche Sozialgeschichte 1870-1914. Dokumente und Skizzen [German Social History 1870-1914. Documents and Sketches], 3rd ed. München: C.H. Beck, 1982, pp. 151-52.
Translation: Erwin Fink
print version
return to list
previous document