Marxism and Labour Theory - The Conflicts between Employee and Employer

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Marxism and Labour Theory - The Conflicts between Employee and Employer

1. Introduction

1.1 Overview on the essay topic

To organisations, employees (labours) are wonderful resources, because they are compact and multi-purpose, capable of simple manual tasks or dealing with complicated machines, most importantly, they are the profit maker for their employers. However, there is always a problem between employees and employer. Any attempt to manager in a humane way, by consensus, is doomed to failure because of the irresolvable conflict between employees and their employers. Within nearly every organisation or company conflicts occur from time to time, between the employers and the employees. This paper argues what kind of conflicts between employee and employer from the perspective of Marxism and
Labour Theory.

1.2 Structure of this essay

The main purpose of this essay is to define the conflict between employees and employers is irresolvable. Firstly, I will briefly introduce Marxism and the Marxism Economy. Secondly, I will explain some of the Marx´s issue on Labour Power and Capitalism Power, this will lead to the next section- the conflict relationship between them in an organisation. Thirdly, in this section I will describe the sources of conflict in an organisation, and discuss why the conflict between them is irresolvable. Finally, in this last section of the paper, it reviews the essay topic again, and I shall illustrate my opinion on the conflict between employee and employer, finally, I shall explain why organisation employer or owner can not manage their employees in a humane way.

2. About Marxism

2.1 Overview on Marxism

Marxism, or Scientific Socialism, is the name given to the body of ideas first worked out by Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels
(1820-1895). In their totality, these ideas provide a fully worked-out theoretical basis for the struggle of the working class to attain a higher form of human society--socialism. [1] Marx was a revolutionary who was against capitalism and actively promoted its overthrow. Marx is the representative of the working class; also Marxism represents the second great leap in the development of proletarian ideology. [2]

In the Marxism Economy, at first sight, it looks as if goods and things are produced mainly for people's needs. Obviously every society has to do this. But under capitalism, goo...

... middle of paper ...

...heory_of_value_2.html (Access
Date 06-05-05)

Lesson from working class history
From: http://www.bolshevik.org/1917/no21/No21gnst.pdf (Access Date
02-05-05)

David M. Boje (1999) Labour Process Theory and Other Grand
Narratives
From: http://cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/grand.html (Access Date: 02-05-05)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] What is Marxism by Rob Sewell and Alan Woods

[2] 1993: Long Live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism

[3] An Introduction to Marxist Economy by Rob Sewell and Alan Woods

[4] this is one of the definition from http://www.sla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/marxism/terms/laborpower.html (Access Date 11-05-05)

[5] What is Marxism by Rob Sewell and Alan Woods

[6] Ibid

[7] The Marxist critique of capitalism

[8] Labour Power Definition: http://www.sla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/marxism/terms/surplusvalue.html [9] An introduction to Marx's Labour Theory of Value by Brooks Mick

[10] Ibid, same resource

[11] Lesson from working class history

[12] Marxism and Trade Unions by Leon Trotsky

[13] Lesson from working class history.

[14] Labour Process Theory and Other Grand Narratives by David M.
Boje (1999)

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