Karl Marx is dead, Rosa Luxemburg is dead, too... However, the color of labour has remained unchanged, it has always been - red. It is a well know fact that the greatest class struggle of the 20th century took place under the red flag. Paul Lafargue, son-in-law and well known activist of Karl Marx, said: “If labour was something good and elevated, rich men would not leave it to the poor.” This was the understanding of “labour” in 19th century and this ideology was carried on to the 20th century. This ideology causes leftist trade union workers to get the feeling of failure, and at the same time it generates ideas about personal advantage. This interpretation of “labour,” at the present time, no longer applies, and those who support this archaic idea, are still to this day linked back to it. So, what is the new color of labour?
Labour and gainful employment are not equal
Social security, integration by gainful employment, the right of income, disguised as “right to work” were emancipatory steps. But the misunderstood “right to gainful employment” changed to “force to work” – to a work there, where is no more, to employment schemes, social surveillance, and stigmatization. In the opposite of the prohibition to work for “unemployed”, those with jobs terminate inwardly. It is going to be fatal, when institution struggle for their survival and blocks the thinking about reorientations.
There is as much work as people, just the read gainful employment gets less. In this context red means: it must remain uneffected and the approval with all force, all “injustice”, if it is to be distributed a bit fairer. The new color is that of the skill, from the wish. The sense of work is creative. It can be helpful in small areas of life , as well as to enter new spheres.
Hammer and Sickle
The red labour dispute is an anachronism. The hammer and sickle have symbolized industry and agriculture. The pathos deals with the building, “by the sweat of their brows”. Machines and better operations took a lot from us, in terms of hard work. Further more, an ecological, enduring and reasonable agriculture enlarged its focus long ago: to a work out of comprehension and affection. “Conquer the earth” is a brisk translation of the bible by Luther. “Use the earth“, is a better translation, pay attention to her. An industrial agriculture, for example, causes unaffordable damages to the earth, plants, animals and humans. He, who wants to see it, will see it: New spheres of work arose, but these new jobs cannot pay every time, directly and necessarily by the sale of products.
Caught in the glut – full-employment, utopia
We live factually in the over abundance of goods and free capacities of production. There is enough for all, but not everyone can get enough. The idea of full-employment gets closer each day more and more to a utopia. The employees and employer, their organizations and stockholders pursue, “against each other”, in the same aim: both evoke full-employment by economic growth. Who is not seeing red must be color-blind.
Everyone wants to work and everyone needs an income
Here is another idea: A basic income, unconditionally for all humans, paid through the taxation of consummation instead of work. Work is a necessity and with a basic income, it must be a necessity. Income is not just a salary but an unconditionally need.
Tons of work!
The time of “gainful full-employment” is over. There is enough work to spare. Work has a new colour: people work, because they see sense in it. It relies less on production and not directly with a monetary income, therefore it has not less worth. It depends more on individual abilities and individual needs.
Summarised: Everything that machines can not do, humans can do. This is the new colour of work. It will not get better by doing less but rather by making an effort. For example, in family, agriculture, ecology, care, health, school, education, research, development, culture, work, art, leisure, initiatives and projects and most importantly in self-development … and in one thousand and one other things – your – needs and more are met.
Imagine: your work day consists of tasks, which you feel they are important to you as well as the greater good.
Daniel HAENI (on the left) is a businessman, artist, and cofounder, board member of the «unternehmen mitte» group in Basel. Their elaborate building, and coffee shop, was formerly the headquarters of the Swiss National Bank, in the downtown quarter.Enno SCHMIDT (on the right) is an artist from Frankfurt, cofounder and long time member of «Economy and Art» company. He is also a member of the «Future Social Life Fund», Social Sculpture Research Unit at Oxford Brookes University, and a superfluous teacher of multi-optional enterprise at Karlsruhe University.
