Taken from their book, Inventing
The Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work, Post-Work Imaginaries
outlines Srnicek and Williams vision of what a post-work society could look
like. These ideas are necessarily idealistic, grounded in contemporary reality,
and demand a shift in political equilibrium (Srnicek & Williams, 55).
They argue that society must accept if not embrace full automation,
reduce the working week without reducing pay, provide a universal
basic income, and diminish if not abolish the work ethic. Indeed, some of
these ideas, utopian or not, seem to be in the spotlight as globally we operate
in a society informed by Covid-19 responses, the economic impact of the
pandemic and of quarantines.
Full automation they claim "...would aim to liberate humanity from
the drudgery of work while simultaneously producing increasing
amounts of wealth" (55). While most of us see automation in terms of
decreased employment, decreased incomes, increased problems, and increased
profit for the capitalist, Srnicek and Williams argue that resisting automation
requires us to choose between freedom and abundance. Automation necessitates,
they argue, higher wages (automation is not a viable option when labour is
cheap), organisational change, and reskilling. While the ideal is full
automation, it's unlikely to be achievable for several reasons: machines are
notoriously bad at completing creative tasks, the cost of the machines required
offers a lower profit margin so makes it less interesting to the capitalist
(even though this can be countered by full automation), and
the moral status we give to certain roles, such as care work. Therefore,
since labour cannot be fully or immediately eliminated the demand for full
automation simply aims to reduce necessary labour as much as possible (58).
Reducing the working week is the second demand and one that has to some
extent been realised in some places and recently Prime Minister Jacinda Adern
spoke of a four-day working week being a possible solution to economic
constraints faced by some small businesses post Lockdown 2020. The idea is not
new and Srnicek and Williams mention both Lafargue and Keynes pointing to three
hour working days and a shortened week being at the centre of Marx's
post-capitalist vision (58). Reducing the working week -ideally with a
three day weekend - is not just good for worker health (both physical and
mental) or environmentally advantageous, they argue, it is a political demand
that shifts (some) power to the worker. Potentially it can bring recognition to
unofficial, unpaid labour by bringing attention to it, and increase
productivity.
Alongside a reduced working week, they call for Universal Basic Income
(UBI). Such an income must, by definition, provide sufficient base come
on which to live, must be paid to everyone without condition, and must be a
supplement to the welfare state, not a replacement thereof. Again, by making
work voluntary and not coerced, power shifts back toward the worker, allowing a
flexibility of timetable and activity. Equally, a UBI would regulate to
some extent the values attributed to work, shifting the focus from profit (61).
Wages would compensate the nature of a role and not the potential profitability
- which may not be of immediate interest to the private capitalist but would certainly
be of interest to the worker. UBI would also recognise roles such as care work
- often dominated by women - that has traditionally been ignored when defining
and recognizing labour.
The first three 'demands' however rest on the concept of diminishing the
work ethic. Work ethic is considered a high value trait from every perspective
except that of remuneration. Instead it is exploited to ensure capitalist
interests are expanded and profits grown. Only when work ethic is reduced can
full automation, reduced working week, and a UBI become the foundation of a
balanced and equitable society.
Srnicek, Nick; Williams, Alex. Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work
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