Labour relations at the transition from Fordism to Postfordism, or : why are an increasing number of "foreign foreigners" employed in the Swiss hotel and catering industry today?

[摘要] In the present paper, we discuss a key factor in theentrepreneurial and regional capacity of innovationand competitiveness. By basing our arguments on regulation theory, we consider changes in domestic and foreign wage relations and their regulation as an expression and a reflection of flexible accumulation. In doingso, the dominant discussion of a labour market orientatedtowards innovation and competitiveness is givena critical dimension that focuses on the winners of themodernisation process as well as on possible losers ofthe flexibilisation.

We analyse the trend by using the hotel and cateringindustry as an example of an industry which assumesa pioneering role as far as the flexibilisation of thelabour market is concerned. The Swiss example representsa national «development path», which is greatlychallenged by the new conditions of competitiveness,giving rise to a strong call for a reduction in barriersthat stand in the way of flexibilisation.

The empirical discussion is the result of qualitativeinterviews. It shows that the changes are characterisedfirstly by an increasing diversity of labour relationsand secondly by an accenluated lower ethnic stratification of the labour market. Thirdly,the increasingdiversity and the ethnic stratification are projected onthe regulative level. Fourthly, the analysis leads to anexpanded notion of regulation, which not only focuseson the conflict line between capital and labour, butalso on the conflict line between ethnicities or nationalities (the dual regulation System). Finally, as a coexistenceof Fordist and Postfordist labour relations isapparent, the impact of regulation theory is erilieallyexamined.

[学科分类] 自然科学（综合）