ABSTRACT

Workers in the realm of social reproduction – e.g. nurses, carers, cleaners, food preparation workers etc. – are considered low-skill and are poorly remunerated. During the Covid-19 crisis they have been recast as ‘essential’, leading to unprecedented praise and attention in public discourse. Nonetheless, public praise for these ‘essential’ workers so far has not translated into a commitment for higher wages and improved working conditions. In this article, we argue that skills hierarchies continue to determine labour market outcomes and social inequalities. We pinpoint that these are embedded into the logic of capitalist social relations, rather than being an expression of the features of jobs themselves. We also show how some socially reproductive sectors resist the tendency to automation precisely because of the prevalence therein of a workforce which is portrayed as un-skilled. By focussing on low-skilled workers’ engagement in various forms of labour unrest and their demands for long overdue recognition and wage rises. the article puts into question the inherited skills-lexicon according to which low-wage jobs are unproductive and lacking in skills and competence. The authors conclude that these workers’ fights for the recognition of the dignity and importance of their jobs and professions can facilitate a rethinking of the division of labour in our societies.

摘要

社会再生产领域的工人——例如护士、护理人员、清洁工、食品准备工人等——被认为是低技能的，报酬也很低。在 Covid-19 危机期间，它们被重新定义为“必不可少的”，在公众话语中获得了前所未有的赞誉和关注。尽管如此，到目前为止，公众对这些“基本”工人的赞扬并没有转化为对提高工资和改善工作条件的承诺。在本文中，我们认为技能等级继续决定劳动力市场结果和社会不平等。我们指出，这些都嵌入到资本主义社会关系的逻辑中，而不是工作本身特征的表达。我们还展示了一些社会再生产部门是如何抵制自动化趋势的，正是因为其中普遍存在被描述为不熟练的劳动力。通过关注低技能工人参与各种形式的劳工骚乱以及他们早就应该得到承认和加薪的要求。这篇文章对继承的技能词典提出了质疑，根据该词典，低薪工作是低生产率的，并且缺乏技能和能力。作者得出结论，这些工人为承认其工作和职业的尊严和重要性而进行的斗争可以促进对我们社会中劳动分工的重新思考。这篇文章对继承的技能词典提出了质疑，根据该词典，低薪工作是低生产率的，并且缺乏技能和能力。作者得出结论，这些工人为承认其工作和职业的尊严和重要性而进行的斗争可以促进对我们社会中劳动分工的重新思考。这篇文章对继承的技能词典提出了质疑，根据该词典，低薪工作是低生产率的，并且缺乏技能和能力。作者得出结论，这些工人为承认其工作和职业的尊严和重要性而进行的斗争可以促进对我们社会中劳动分工的重新思考。