Capitalist Unfree Labour: A Contradiction?

an article by Tom Brass (University of Cambridge) published in Critical Sociology

Abstract

Disputed here is the view that a “fully functioning” accumulation process cannot operate efficiently – let alone profitably – without workers who are free. In non-Marxist political economy which eschews class struggle the idea that unfree labour might be acceptable to capitalists was dismissed on the grounds that such workers would necessarily be inefficient, unskilled, costly, and scarce. Because it was an obstacle both to market formation and expansion, and to the installation of advanced productive forces, they argued, unfree labour-power was incompatible with a dynamic process of accumulation within particular national contexts. In the present global capitalist system none of these objections continues to hold. Analysing a 21st century capitalism though the lens of class struggle confirms that today unfree workers are more profitable to employ but no less efficient than their counterparts who are free. Deskilling combined with a reserve army that is global in scope makes it possible for capitalists to use such production relations.

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