A forty-three year-old lathe operator; 9 1/2 hours, 28 marks: "The piece-work system makes the work agonizing, and one loses interest through the monotonous sameness year after year."
A forty-four year-old file-cutter [Feilenhauer]; 10 1/2 hours, 24 marks. "I am thoroughly sick and tired of it."
A forty-five year-old miller; 9 1/4 hours, 38 marks: "Only voluntary work would be enjoyable."
A forty-six year-old mould smith [Modellschlosser]; 9 1/2 hours, 36 marks: "I am always pleased if I succeed in finishing the jobs assigned to me, clean and fitting precisely, working from provided drawings. I find a certain satisfaction in this and have the feeling that I am doing my part in preserving and beautifying the whole."
A forty-seven year-old metalworker; 9 1/2 hours, 21 marks: "Oh, yes. But one should receive better treatment as a worker, and most bosses do not greet their workers in the morning and at noon when they enter the work room.”
A forty-eight year-old locksmith; 9 hours, 36 marks: "I have a lively interest in it because of its diversity. Monotonous work would be the most horrifying thing for me. I would do monotonous machine work only if you forced me to."
Pleasure in gainful work was felt by:
Indication of primary motivations
| No indication of reasons | If pay is good | Only if work is varied | Only if treatment is good | Because the work is complicated |
| 27 | 87 | 142 | 7 | 44 |
No interest in their gainful work was felt by:
Indication of primary motivations
| No indication of reasons | Because the profit belongs to the capitalist | Because the work is monotonous | Because they are too dependent | Because wages are too low | Because it is dangerous to health |
| 102 | 211 | 302 | 164 | 183 | 65 |
print version
return to list
previous document