Title: Is there any difference between 'hourly wage rate' vs. 'piece wage rate'

Authors: Anand Chand

Addresses: School of Management and Public Administration, Faculty of Business and Economic, University of the South Pacific, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji Islands

Abstract: This paper addresses a crucial question as to whether there is any difference between 'hourly-wage' rate and 'piece-wage' rate. In this paper, this issue is subjected to empirical test by looking at evidence from the Fiji garment industry. The data and analysis shows that there is no difference and in fact, 'hourly-wage' rate is a disguised form of 'piece-wage' rate. The empirical evidence from the Fiji garment industry debunks the myth that there is a major difference between 'hourly wage' rate and 'piece-wage' rate. A 'bloody Taylorist' punitive labour regime exists in all the three garment supply chains in Fiji. A domestic punitive labour regime existed in the Fiji garment industry before the arrival of foreign Australian, New Zealand, and Chinese garment firms. When the Australian and New Zealand garment firms relocated to Fiji they adopted and continued the 'going' local punitive labour regime in their firms. They had no choice but were forced by competition to go along with this punitive labour regime. The foreign Chinese garment firms made the labour regime even worse as they brought with them the punitive Chinese labour regime from mainland Chinese and implemented the punitive Chinese labour regime in Fiji.

Keywords: hourly wage rate; piece wage rate; garment industry; Fiji Islands; wage payment theory; work intensification; labour regime; entrepreneurship; small business; apparel industry; clothing industry; hourly rates; piece rates.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2012.047115

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2012 Vol.16 No.2, pp.176 - 188

Published online: 14 Aug 2014 *

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