Issues Related to the Dignity of Service Workers
In a Post-Capitalist Society, the status, productivity, and dignity of service workers are the central social issues. These workers, who are employed in simple service jobs and have a dependent position, are not much different from the wage laborers of the past, who were primarily manual laborers. Examples of such service workers include supermarket cashiers, hospital janitors, and delivery truck drivers. However, they now make up a quarter or more of the labor force, surpassing the number of manual laborers in factories. On the other hand, the position of knowledge workers, who are another major class in a post-capitalist society, is completely different. Knowledge workers can only work when there is an organization to support them, making them dependent. However, they own the means of production, which is knowledge. In today's advanced countries, knowledge workers make up a third or more of the labor force. They possess the means of production called "knowledge."