On Sun, 26 Nov 1995, Riccardo Bellofiore wrote: > > The theme of the jobless future has been discussed almost from any side > in the Italian arena. It has here been linked to: (i) the thesis that there > is in global capitalism a tendency to the reduction of the total amount > of hours worked; (ii) the proposal of the shortening of the working day. > > With this as my background, I ask two questions: is the thesis > one well grounded? is the proposal two realistic? 1. In aggregate, this thesis is not compatible with what capital stands for, i.e. "unceasing drive of profit making" or, which is the same "boundless imposition of work" I therefore agree with Paul on this issue. 2. The shortening of the working day is of course crucial topic for working class perspective. But the question of realism of this proposal must be carefully qualified. It may be realistic for corporate capital to give in to reduction of the working day if this is accompanied by cut in wages and increase in productivity. It is realistic for the working class that if this happen, working hours are not reduced at all becuse of the necessity to supplement cut in wages with extra work. Furthermore, the change in the composition of the working class, with the increase in causalisation, underpaid PT work, etc., call for an increase in wages as a means to empower the working class to reduce work. What I want to stress along with both Riccardo and Paul, is that wages and working hours are not two separate matters. For the perspective of the working class, a reduction of the latter can only occur in presence of an increase in wage rate. Wage is power, not only purchasning power, but also power to refuse capitalist work. Massimo De Angelis (University of East London)
