Wage Slavery

The term “wage-slave” or “wage slavery” is a concept that critiques the economic system where people are forced to work for wages in order to survive, often in conditions that can be seen as exploitative or oppressive. The term likens the relationship between workers and employers to that of a slave and a master, but with the worker being bound by the need to earn money to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and healthcare.

It is often used in discussions about capitalism, where individuals may feel trapped in jobs they dislike or where the compensation is insufficient to offer a decent standard of living, yet they have little choice but to work in these conditions because they rely on their income to survive. The term is used to highlight the perceived lack of freedom or control over one’s life that can result from having to work for a living in an economic system that prioritizes profit over human well-being.