Workplace Democracy

From Random Hipatia

I recently encountered a [SHAC] activist I had known for sometime working at a local mall. This reminded me of something rather important, and probably others would say is rather obvious. Free speech and political democracy are rather pointless without true workplace and economic democracy.

As more American’s descend into the darkest depths of wage slavery each year, they are ever fearful to speak out about or be identified with those things they may actually care about in the places that they work. If you work at Wallmart or similar retailer, try organizing a union, and see how terrified your fellow workers are at the thought of loosing their jobs, far more so than the real abuse they accept every day at the hands of a corporate master.

At one time not that long ago, the American worker still stood on his feet. Too often today, he is forced to stand on his knees, as his pensions are cut, his medical benefits are discontinued, and his wages are further reduced, all for the privilege of keeping his job a few more months or years rather than having his employer move to exploit others elsewhere sooner.

Most American’s now spend at least half, sometimes two thirds of their awake lives each day at work each day. Very often they will spend far more time with their co-workers than with their wives or husbands or family. In theory they have political rights and freedoms, but in reality, they spend this time in the one place they are neither allowed nor dare to express them, in an economic system that in many ways remains as socially regressive today as the worst little tyranny one can imagine.

While there is a temptation to look at the present and conclude that there is unbroken progress from the past, this is neither correct, nor often the case. Let is consider political history.

Certainly if we compare directly between, say the time of the Egyptian Pharaoh’s and our current period, one might argue that there has been positive change. However, there have been times very progressive in the past between these points, such as Paraclese’s democractic Athens, or even the original Roman republic, as well as times in the near present at least as politically repressive if not more so than that of any Pharaoh.

Of course if we can presume that political progress has not been linear or consistent, then perhaps the same can be said for the economic sphere of life. Indeed, recent archaeological evidence suggests that while ancient Egyptian worker’s of the time of Pharaoh’s may have had no political democracy, they may have been offered far better working conditions than those that could be secured even in the last century by the AFL-CIO! They were housed, they had health care, and they seem to have had far more equality and workplace freedom, one can gather from the graffiti they left behind, than those who slave for today’s corporate masters.

Political rights are useless to those too afraid to exercise them. In this, I believe the tyranny of wage slavery far too often trumps political rights of those being enslaved, and that you cannot have true political democracy without also having workplace democracy.