The Politics of Unpaid Labour

Valeria posits that this framework can illuminate the mechanisms driving inequality, particularly through the stigmatization of precarious work, a stigma often intensified by labor market reforms and evolving social and technological landscapes. We have talked to Distinguished Weizenbaum Fellow Valeria to learn more about her research.

Could you please give a short introduction into your research on “the Politics of Unpaid Labour”?

Philosopher Paul Gomberg argues that many people endure "unjust harm through their labour," citing poor compensation as a barrier to a dignified life. This assertion prompted me to further explore into the structural factors underlying this reality. In sociology, political, and feminist studies, unpaid labour is traditionally viewed as socially reproductive or voluntary work outside the market. Yet, it is also embedded within paid employment, especially as flexible work arrangements, fissured production, and insecure contracts proliferate. These conditions foster unpaid in-market labour, intensifying work and diminishing “value job features” like pay, benefits, and pensions, affecting workers' social and political lives.

“The Politics of Unpaid Labour” examines the power dynamics and policies around unpaid labour, viewing it as time and effort spent on tasks tied to one’s work but lacking fair compensation. It probes "who benefits from and sustains unpaid labour," with social reproductive work as a key support. Ultimately, it links the political dimensions of unpaid labour with the growth of precarious work, highlighting class-based inequalities amid labour market reforms, social shifts, technological changes.

How does unpaid work impact social and economic inequalities in today’s work environment?

Not everyone performing unpaid labour subjectively experiences precarity in the same way and to the same extent, despite the objective precarious conditions of their jobs. I describe it as a ‘binary’ or ‘non-binary’ relationship between unpaid labour and precarious work. Essentially, whether this relationship is ‘binary’ or ‘non-binary’ is dependent on how precarity is subjectively experienced, a factor which in turn relies on the individual and collective resources available to those concerned to sustain unpaid labour. Having access to such resources, a factor often associated with class background, can help individuals to cope with the precarious employment conditions of their jobs. Indeed, unpaid labour itself can also be a privileging resource allowing workers to build resilience against such precarious conditions.

While this privilege exists, however, it does not eliminate the inherent job insecurity that comes with the employment conditions. Workers persist in undertaking precarious jobs in the ‘hope’ of a better future. This is possible insofar as individuals possess the resources enabling them not only to sustain the unpaid labour, but also to capitalise on it. Three forms of resources are relevant to sustaining unpaid labour: individual income (including self-owned property), social support from family/household members (including childcare and housework), and social benefits provided by the state directly or through other collective bargaining arrangements, whereby the latter are subject to institutional national labour market contexts

What are the biggest challenges and risks for people who perform unpaid work?

Unpaid labour heavily strains family life, with many workers feeling unable to make decisions about having children due to job instability and income unpredictability. Mothers managing both paid and unpaid labour expressed feeling drained, while platform-based freelancers felt constantly “on-call” to maintain their ratings, negatively impacting family relationships. Some workers rely on family support to cope with abrupt scheduling changes and fluctuating income. Young workers, in particular, struggle to envision a stable future in a society that perpetuates unpaid labour.

Unpaid labour also harms mental health. Dancers and care workers reported working while ill, a reality magnified during the Covid-19 pandemic. In an economy rife with precarious work and vast inequalities, workers often feel replaceable and undervalued, leading to low self-worth and anxiety, particularly for those lacking strong social or family networks.

Additionally, unpaid labour fosters extreme worker subordination, leaving employees with little voice to contest poor or unfair treatment. This disempowerment results in poor service quality, affecting essential sectors like elder care. Many workers experience isolation, fear, and the need to constantly search for better opportunities, which further drains time and resources.

Finally, unpaid labour often pushes workers toward poverty, leaving them without the means to enjoy a stable lifestyle. Many cannot afford essentials or cultural activities, drifting from middle-class aspirations. The irregular nature of work, combined with limited bargaining power over hours and wages, forces many to juggle multiple jobs and platforms just to survive. Freelancers feel pressured to stay "affordable," while care workers cite the injustices of profit-driven ownership structures that prioritize earnings over fair wages “Owners just reap the money; the rest doesn’t matter.”

Why did you choose the fields: creative dance, residential care, online freelancing in Europe for your research?

The selection of care, creative dance and gig was based on the knowledge of the major transformations in each area, resulting in the re-organisation of paid/unpaid work activities for each of the occupational field selected. This re-organisation intersects with ‘contested’ values of regulatory regimes, production structures and gender roles, expressed most in care work but also present in the other two work areas.

Looking at the three work areas or occupational fields and the prevalence of unpaid labour in them, I also beard in mind the differences between employees and the self-employed, noting that employment relationships dominate in the field of residential care, while service provision relationships (involving project workers or freelancers) dominate in dance and online platform work.

What role does politics play?

As above, the ‘politics’ plays an extremely important role as it refers to the dynamics, policies surrounding the occurrence of unpaid labour and the extent to which individuals sustain it, with social reproductive labour being a key resource.

Precarity is influenced by a country’s political economy, including state funding, social benefits, minimum wages, collective bargaining, and public ownership. The state and public policy thus must address the uneven distribution and impact of unpaid labour to create fairer labour markets. While “The Politics of Unpaid Labour” retains a strong focus on the individual level (i.e., the ‘micro-social’ reality), it also opens the door for further analysis of labour struggles for more inclusive labour markets. Aligning workers’ aspirations with economic goals is not a futuristic utopia, and it requires coordinated action from individuals, workers, consumers, owners, and the state.

Thank you for the Interview!

The interview was conducted by Katharina Stefes