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(Material from USSR pol. econ. textbook) |
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'''Reserve army of labour''' is a | '''Reserve army of labour''' is Karl Marx's term for the pool of unemployed and partly-employed workers in [[capitalism]]. Marx sometimes also referred to it as the "industrial reserve army". The existence of the industrial reserve army enables the capitalists to intensify their exploitation of the workers. Unemployed workers have to accept the most onerous conditions of work. The presence of unemployment creates an unstable situation for the employed workers and sharply reduces the standard of life of the working class as a whole. That is why the capitalists are not interested in abolishing the industrial reserve army, which exercises pressure on the labour market and ensures them a supply of cheap labour-power.<ref>Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1957. ''Political Economy,'' (Lawrence and Wishart) p. 168.<ref> | ||
The ruling class in capitalist society keeps labor subdued with a large surplus of unemployed or underemployed workers, who can be used as [[Strike breaker|scab labor]] to depress wages of the employed workers. | |||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 23:17, 16 May 2022
Reserve army of labour is Karl Marx's term for the pool of unemployed and partly-employed workers in capitalism. Marx sometimes also referred to it as the "industrial reserve army". The existence of the industrial reserve army enables the capitalists to intensify their exploitation of the workers. Unemployed workers have to accept the most onerous conditions of work. The presence of unemployment creates an unstable situation for the employed workers and sharply reduces the standard of life of the working class as a whole. That is why the capitalists are not interested in abolishing the industrial reserve army, which exercises pressure on the labour market and ensures them a supply of cheap labour-power.<ref>Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1957. Political Economy, (Lawrence and Wishart) p. 168.<ref>
The ruling class in capitalist society keeps labor subdued with a large surplus of unemployed or underemployed workers, who can be used as scab labor to depress wages of the employed workers.