ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the extent to which and the way in which technology determines the utilisation of labour in the manufacturing industry in Brazil. The investigation is carried out by using a case study approach, covering a number of industries which are thought to represent different stages of technological development. The labour process is the combination of the material instruments of production and the social organisation of labour. The production facilities of all investigated enterprises were visited in order to gain knowledge of the labour processes involved. The changes in labour productivity, efficiency of machines, capital-labour ratio, capital-output ratio, number of spindles or looms per worker, labour force composition and skill requirements can be calculated. The labour force is broken down into five categories; managerial and technical staff, foremen, machine operators, auxiliary workers and maintenance workers. The internal labour utilisation was discussed separately for the following categories: production managers, maintenance workers, foremen, machine operators and auxiliary workers.
