RE-CASTING THE OCCUPATIONAL CULTURE IN STEEL - SOME IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGING FROM CREWS TO TEAMS IN THE UK STEEL-INDUSTRY

Teamworking developments in the iron and steel industry potentially ha ve far-reaching implications for steelworkers' occupational culture. T he traditional seniority-based crew system is examined and is shown to have exerted a considerable influence in shaping the occupational cul ture in steel, Recent changes in work organisation are discussed, incl uding the nature of teamworking developments at two steel plants. The authors conclude that the changes could further undermine the extant o ccupational culture in steel, At the same time, while management are l ooking to teamworking partly as a means to increase worker commitment, ironically the removal of crew hierarchies may entail the loss of a p ast source of moderation and cooperation among the steelworkers. Teamw orking could even create a new basis of worker solidarity, absent when steelworkers were differently positioned within separate work crews.