Workers without companies: towards a new way of working

Abstract

Workers Without Companies contributes to the debate on the future of work in a productive landscape that is now global, while ways of working diversify at an unprecedented pace. Faced with several decades of mass unemployment in Europe and the activation of self-employment—especially through intermediary platforms—this book examines the transformation of the wage system not only in traditional salaried sectors but also in self-employment, agriculture, and the field of science and knowledge production. The authors identify a common movement: the growing detachment between companies and their employees. This deep-rooted and enduring trend is reshaping the wage relationship at the core of modern societies, continuously altering and destabilising workers’ lives. Recognising this shift is essential to interrogating what work—and our lives—will become in the years ahead. The book, therefore, concludes with a proposed research agenda structured around five key axes. As such, Workers Without Companies will appeal to sociologists with interests in work and industry, employment and unemployment, organisation studies and labour relations.