The New Morphology of Labour and its Main Trends: Informalisation, Precarisation, (Im)materiality and Value1. Issue 1 (2nd April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Antunes, Ricardo
• Is Part Of: Critique. Volume 44:Issue 1/2(2016)
• Page Start: 13
• Page End: 30
• Publication Date: 2016-04-02
• Subjects: Value-creation -- Labour -- Informality -- Precarisation -- Development; Soviet Union -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Socialism -- Periodicals; Socialisme; Communisme; 4.935; 335.4
• DOI: 10.1080/03017605.2016.1173822
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-7605

Abstract

Abstract : Contemporary capitalism presents us with multifaceted developments in the sphere of labour, trends leading to the precarisation of the workforce on a global scale, and also of moving towards greater intellectualisation of labour (the 'immaterial labour'). In discussion of the first facet, the destructive elements are emphasised. In the second, the emphasis is on attempts to prove the 'developments' that would finally arrive at computerised work endowed with greater 'cognitive features', etc. The central hypothesis of this article is that, when it comes to Marx's theory of value, far from diminishing in importance we are experiencing the expansion of this law. The growth of new mechanisms of extracting overwork, such as informality, precarisation and immateriality, are examples of this new morphology of labour.