Worker Resistance—Argument

Abstract

Struggle within the labour process over valorisation has occupied radicals throughout capitalism’s history, but this struggle has been sorrowfully neglected by Marxist theoreticians. The schism between theory and practice concerning the daily struggle which occurs within productive activity has seriously weakened both. During the next four chapters this struggle is examined, concentrating on worker resistance first, and then on managerial counter-pressure. In this chapter the argument for incorporating worker resistance into a Marxian framework is put along with some discussion of its neglect. This is followed by an examination of some characteristics of worker resistance which will be examined historically in Chapter 5, and which will be used throughout the analysis in succeeding chapters.