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Work has of course always been central to capitalist organisation, since the ability of capital to extract surplus value from labour is at the essential core of accumulation processes. In post-crisis UK, however, work has become not only integral to the function of the capitalist economy, but also, it seems, a defining measure of how well it is functioning.
We need look no further for the cause of economic difficulties, so the argument goes, than those who refuse to participate in the labour market.
