Piecework and Industrial Accidents: Two Contemporary Case Studies

Traditional trade union opposition to piecework has been based on the claim that piecework stimulates unsafe working practices and contributes to industrial accidents. Despite this widespread common sense assumption it has been difficult to demonstrate a link between piecework and accidents by statistical analysis. This paper reviews some of the evidence on the subject and describes a new source of insight into the problem through an examination of the daily accident distribution in two Birmingham firms. It is suggested that pieceworkers will be more motivated to take risks towards the end of the week, on days preceding pay day. They will also be less likely to report trivial injuries.