Labor is not fighting for a larger slice of the national pie-labor is fighting for a larger pie.
Walter ReutherRead
Workers do not strike every day, they cannot do that the way they function in the capitalist economy. The way they have to live by selling their labor power makes that impossible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Workers face limitations in their ability to strike due to economic pressures.
This quote by Ernest Mandel highlights the constraints that workers encounter within a capitalist system, where the necessity of earning a living by selling their labor power restricts their capacity to engage in frequent strikes. It illustrates the struggle between the need for workers to advocate for their rights and the economic realities that make sustained collective action challenging.
Themes
LaborStrikeCapitalismEconomyWorkers' Rights
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a labor rights seminar to discuss the challenges faced by workers.
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