CONCEPT OF COMMODIFICATION OF LABOUR

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COMMODIFICATION OF LABOUR

     Commodification of labour is the transformation of human labour or power into commodity which can be sold and bought. It is one of the characteristics of capitalism.  In a capitalist society, there are two broad classes: class who owns the means of production (bourgeoisie or the haves) and class who does not own the means of production (proletariat or the have-nots).

     Hence, for those who do not own the means of production to survive they have to sell their labour power to those who have the means of production. In other words, they have to be employed and work for those who own the means of production as workers so that the owner of industry can exploit their labour power and pay them salaries or wages for their services depending on the monetary value of their labour. Therefore, they have sold or commodified their labour power in exchange for salaries or wages.

     As Claude Ake (1981), rightly observes that the exchange between the buyers (employers) and the sellers (employees) are usually in unequal basis because the buyer (employer) of labour power buys it only because it is to his advantage to do so.
Written by Eze Andrew O

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