From: michael a. lebowitz (mlebowit@SFU.CA)
Date: Thu May 11 2006 - 22:08:12 EDT
A quick note-- I'm in Havana with no Capital but expensive internet.
I am inclined to view the section on intensity of labour as
reflecting the interpenetration of absolute and relative S-- ie.,
absolute S within the discussion of relative. For me the essence of
the question is that in absolute s, coercion plays the role of
compelling additional expenditure of labour by the worker; in
relative, introduction of a superior method of production permits
greater productivity with no greater exertion by workers. (Anything
not logical about this distinction?) As I argue in my book and even
more in the Deutscher Lecture (Politics of Assumption, Assumption of
Politics), due shortly in Historical Materialism, however, that
greater productivity is not a sufficient condition for relative surplus value.
cheers,
m
ps. I refuse to treat an increase in intensity of work as an increase
in productivity--- that's capital's accounting!
At 19:41 11/05/2006, you wrote:
> > If you indicate the period as a workday without specifying its
> > length, the result is the same when you increase the workday or
> > increase its intensity. In both cases, output per worker increases;
> > and, in both cases, the worker gets tired.
>
>Hi Mike L,
>
>Isn't absolute surplus value _explicitly_ defined in terms of
>the _length_ of the working day? (It could, though, be extended
>in _some_ other ways without changing its meaning, e.g. increases
>in the length of the workweek; increases in working days/year, by
>decreasing vacation time and holidays.) So, in both cases, workers
>get more tired. Why is that similarity more important than the
>difference in effect in terms of productivity?
>
>
> > This is to be
> > distinguished from pure increases in productivity, where output per
> > worker rises but there is no additional expenditure of units of
> > labour.
>
>Whether there is labor-saving technological change or increases in labor
>intensity, output/worker/hr. (i.e. physical productivity) goes up.
>
> > In fact, an important challenge is to separate increases in
> > productivity from speedup--- which is why accident rates seem
> > interesting as a proxy.
>
>I agree -- statistics on labor productivity should be disaggregated to
>show changes due to technical change and changes due to labor intensity.
>They are not and hence they are misleading. Since neither of us can come
>up with a decent measure of labor intensity or adequate proxy, I guess we
>can't be too critical of the effort of statisticians in this regard.
>
>
> >>> If the
> >>> workday were lengthened (eg., by 10%) and intensity fell by 20%
> >>> (ie., big pores open up) on the whole, wouldn't that reduce absolute
> >>> surplus value?
> >>No.
> > by your limited definition
>
>Why is the definition I am using any more limited than the one you are using?
>
>
> > useful point but what's the alternative measurement of intensity?
> > bladder problems?
>
>Aren't bladder problems associated more with a sedentary lifestyle and a
>_low_ intensity of labor? As labor intensity increases, (at some point)
>fluids are "sweated out". The problem (insofar as it concerns liquids)
>then becomes dehydration.
>
>I suppose workers in different branches of production could be given a
>physiological test, like a stress test, which measures changes in blood
>pressure, pulse, etc. You'd have to find 'average' workers
>(physiologically) and then measure their vital signs when they are working
>the 'average' labor intensity in a branch of production. You could then
>compare labor intensity (as so measured) in different branches of
>production and calculate an average. Why would workers ever agree to such
>a test, though? They'd have about the same incentive as having their work
>measured by a time-and-motion expert.
>
>In solidarity, Jerry
Michael A. Lebowitz
Professor Emeritus
Economics Department
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Currently based in Venezuela. Can be reached at
Residencias Anauco Suites
Departamento 601
Parque Central, Zona Postal 1010, Oficina 1
Caracas, Venezuela
(58-212) 573-4111
fax: (58-212) 573-7724
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