Deskilling revisited: Labour migration, neo-Taylorism and the degradation of craft work in the Norwegian construction industry

Abstract

This article discusses the effects of large-scale migration on work organization within major construction companies in Norway. Based on extensive ethnographic data in combination with descriptive statistics, the study shows how large-scale labour migration has induced a shift towards more flexible employment, which in turn has changed class and authority relations, and the appreciation of manual skills in the production process. It is argued that the observed shift from ‘craft-centred’ to ‘neo-Taylorist’ management principles conforms to the classical deskilling process in several respects. First, the use of formally unskilled temporary agency workers has prompted management to intensify supervision and separate conception from execution of craft tasks. Second, more competitive subcontracting has fragmented the building process, with multiple actors operating within the jurisdiction of one trade. Although ideological and technological changes have contributed to these developments, the article argues that free movement of labour has played a vital role, and provided employers with the necessary leverage to implement new practices.