Reading Capital With Comrades #9: COLLECTIVE LABOR (Ch. 16-22)
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Apr 26, 2021 Dive into the intriguing world of productive labor and uncover Marx's definitions that reshape our understanding of class struggle. The conversation highlights how wages serve as a tool for capitalists, exploring the ideological implications behind different wage structures. Tune in for insights into the exploiative nature of gig work and adjunct labor, revealing how consumer feedback impacts labor quality. The discussion also examines global wage disparities and the effects of international trade, particularly under the shadow of China's influence.
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Capitalist Productive Labor Defined
- Productive labor under capitalism is labor that produces surplus value for capital.
- Collective labor widens the category, but capitalism narrows it to surplus value creation only.
Organize by Strategic Potential
- Organize not just by surplus value production but by strategic potential for struggle.
- Focus on sectors like public schooling that unite workers and communities strategically.
Surplus Value as Contradictory Unity
- Absolute and relative surplus value are distinct but interrelated strategies of exploitation.
- Capital shifts between lengthening work time and increasing labor productivity as tactics.