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MODULE 7: SOCIOLOGY OF WORK, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND LAW
SECTION 1: THE CAPITALIST LABOUR PROCESS:
Introduction |
OBJECTIVES |
| By the end of this Section you should: |
- understand the Marxist view of the transformation of the labour process;
- understand the terms "Taylorism", "Fordism", and "Flexible Specialisation.
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INTRODUCTION:
Karl Marx, in Capital Volume I, identified three phases in the transformation of the labour process, namely, co-operation, manufacture, machinofacture.
Co-operation:
- It it based on a large number of labourers who work together under the control of one capitalist: this is the typical rise of the factory.
- Capitalist can control length of the working day, but the resistance to capitalist domination grew.
- In this phase, supervisors can exercise control.
- Capitalist gains economies of scale, in other words, production cost per unit falls because output rises.
Manufacture:
- This arose from about the middle of 16th to the last third of 18th century.
- It is based on the division of labour: for example, a craft is broken down into a series of detailed operations each of which is performed by a particular labourer (technical division of labour).
- In this way the capitalist lowers the unit cost of production and raises profit. This is Babbage's principle.
- An essential feature of manufacture is that the operations are done by hand using tools and that the rhythm and pace of work is determined by labour.
Machinofacture:
- This phase is characterised by the introduction of machines into the labour process.
- Machines are driven by external force and pace the workers.
- Machines reduce workers to machine-minders and feeders, that is, to unskilled workers.
- It becomes a means of employing women and children, with a consequent lowering of wages.
- It does not lighten the toil of workers.
- Workers resist, but machines help capitalists in subordinating labour .
move from formal to real sub-ordination of labour.
- This constitutes a move from formal to real sub-ordination of labour.
Criticism of Marx:
- Marx's book was based on some historical inaccuracy, hence Marx was presenting analytical types of work rather than actual historical phases.
- Marx overemphasised the sub-ordination of labour. It was not complete.
