7.1.5 Workers' Control

Context

This idea is rooted in the belief that those who produce wealth should also be the ones to decide how it is distributed and used. Workers' control is seen as a means to create a fairer, more just society by directly involving workers in decision-making processes that affect their lives.

Achieving Workers' Control

• Criticisms: Concerns include potential inefficiencies, internal conflicts, and challenges in transitioning from capitalism to a system of workers' control.

Link to Society

In socialist thought, society is viewed as a collective entity where cooperation and mutual aid are valued over competition and individualism. Workers' control aligns with this view by promoting collective ownership and decision-making.

It challenges the hierarchical structures of capitalist society, which are seen as fostering inequality and alienation. By placing control in the hands of workers, socialism seeks to create a society where power is distributed more equitably, and social relations are based on solidarity rather than domination.

Link to Human Nature

• Socialists believe that human nature is inherently cooperative and that people thrive in environments where they have control over their work and are treated as equals.
• Workers' control is based on the idea that, when given the opportunity, individuals will work collectively for the common good rather than purely for personal gain. This challenges the capitalist view of human nature as inherently self-interested and competitive.
• By empowering workers, socialism aims to create conditions where human potential can be fully realized through cooperation and shared purpose.

Link to the State

• In revolutionary socialism, the state is often seen as an instrument of class oppression, serving the interests of the capitalist ruling class.
• Therefore, workers' control is linked to the idea of dismantling the existing state structure and replacing it with a system where workers govern themselves through councils or communes.
• In more reformist forms of socialism, the state is viewed as a tool that can be used to implement policies that gradually increase workers' control within a mixed economy.
• In both cases, the ultimate goal is to ensure that the state serves the interests of the majority (the working class) rather than a privileged minority.

Link to the Economy

• Workers' control directly challenges the capitalist economic system, where decisions are made by a small group of owners and shareholders who prioritize profit over people.
• Under socialism, the economy would be organized around the needs of society rather than the demands of the market. This could take the form of worker-managed enterprises, cooperatives, or state ownership with significant worker input. The aim is to ensure that economic activity benefits all members of society, not just those who own the means of production. By linking control of the economy to the workers, socialism seeks to create a system that is both more democratic and more equitable.