Since the barriers between West and East Europe started eroding, East Germany has experienced something of a brain-drain in its computer industry, reports Computerwoche, as many of the countries’ most ambitious technicians and skilled workers find out how easy it is to find more satisfying and remunerative employment in West Germany. Despite the different training received by the East German information technologists, and the fact that their knowledge does lag behind in the more modern areas of the industry, West German firms find that their basic grounding is very sound, and that they bring with them a committed and industrious attitude – consequently, it appears they are being snapped up as soon as they start looking for work, either through the job agencies or straight off the street. Inevitably, the enterprise particularly hit by the exodus is VED Kombinat Robotron, the largest and most well-known computer manufacturing outfit in the Republic. Out of a total workforce of 68,000, Robotron says, around 1,300 have left for the West, but that by and large these workers have been replaced. The company is eager to point out that the departures have been mainly on the production side, with relatively few leaving key areas such as research and development; out of 2,000 software developers, Robotron reports that only seven had left up until the end of November, with middle-management losing a total of five. Dietmar Otto, who was acting as spokesman for the Dresden-based firm, was philosophical about the whole situation, saying that once a worker’s mind is made up to go, there is nothing Robotron can do. Nonetheless, he confirmed that discussions were going on aimed at complete a reorganisation of the company, in a move towards efficiency, and away from the present state of affairs, with the company powerless to remove, or to offer much incentive to, the many workshy or poorly-trained employees – clearly with the ulterior motive of hanging on to the more valuable workers. For the future, Robotron is aiming to propagate a distinctly West German work ethic in the amongst its remaining staff, and, sounding more West European by the minute, says it is may embark on a process of diversification and restruct-uring. Plans to set up an division based in West Germany that will work on various joint ventures there are, according to Otto, well-advanced. But just for the record, when Computergram tried to contact Robotron for more details about these plans late one afternoon, the receptionist abruptly said that everyone had gone home.
