"This research study is intended as a sort of voyage to the assembly lines in 10 car-making plants in Europe. A voyage to see what lies beyond the cars that we use every day; to discover the living conditions of mil¬lions of people who carry out repetitive, incessant movements with their hands and arms eight hours a day to assemble the constituent parts of cars. The report is based on the statistical premise that musculoskeletal disorders represent more than 50% of all work-related disorders and bear an enormous price tag for the workers and for the social and economic system. The primary objective of the research study is therefore to identify the fundamental causes of said pa¬thologies and how they are related to the way labour is organised in companies. The report focuses on the methodologies and procedures used in companies to gauge work performance (work metrics) and to assess the ergonomic risk, trade union action on these issues, and the effects of these organisational models and procedures on workers."

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