Roundtable

Debating the Precariat

An exchange on the essay The Precariat: Today's Transformative Class?

William I. Robinson

William I. Robinson

The “precariat,” rather than a new class, is part of the global proletariat, on whose struggle with transnational capital our fate depends.

Nancy Folbre

Nancy Folbre

The focus on “the precariat” is useful but limited: the fight over distribution isn’t just between labor and capital.

Azfar Khan

Azfar Khan

A universal basic income is key to delivering security and autonomy to people in a precarious world.

Bill Fletcher Jr.

Bill Fletcher Jr.

The “precariat,” rather than a new class, is part of the global proletariat, on whose struggle with transnational capital our fate depends.

Alexandra Köves

Alexandra Köves

Beyond policies like a universal basic income, a transition to a equitable and sustainable society requires the redefinition of well-being, needs, and work itself.

George Liodakis

George Liodakis

There is no “precariat,” per se—the working class as-a-whole remains the necessary agent for transformation.

Ronaldo Munck

Ronaldo Munck

Work in the Global South has always been precarious, but the resurgence of global labor organizing offers a way forward.

Pritam Singh

Pritam Singh

A basic income alone is not transformative, but a feature of a broader ecosocialist vision of dismantling capitalism.

Eva-Maria Swidler

Eva-Maria Swidler

Workers in the Global North have a lot to learn from the past struggles of workers in the Global South (as well as in their own countries).

Alison Tate

Evelyn Astor

Alison Tate Evelyn Astor

Labor unions must continue to play an important role in the fight for economic justice and against precariousness.

Guy Standing

Guy Standing

Guy Standing addresses points raised by the contributors to this roundtable.



As an initiative for collectively understanding and shaping the global future, GTI welcomes diverse ideas. Thus, the opinions expressed in our publications do not necessarily reflect the views of GTI or the Tellus Institute.


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