Between high performance and precariousness: an analysis of the working configurations in the automotive industry

Abstract

The auto industry has historically been characterized as an benchmark industry in the discussion on the application of new technologies and different structural arrangements along the production chain. Faced with a series of transformations in the world of work and the organization of production of contemporary organizations, the debate about the daily work has become increasingly complex. From this problem, this article aims to present a reflection on the job settings in the auto industry from a contemporary theoretical discussion. Theoretical indications show that flexible work organization, more automated and consisted of larger number of outsourcing and subcontracting, has redefined the role of man in the automotive system, generating increasingly precarious working conditions and harmful consequences on the lives of workers.