Underpaid and Unrecognized

State-Induced Unfree Labour
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-0-19-791043-6
Verlag: Oxford University Press

Buch, Englisch, 304 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Unfree labour is not a relic of pre-modern economies, nor a peripheral concern within contemporary labour regulation. It is not confined to criminal enterprises or the illicit margins of the market. Rather, it is sustained, expanded, and legitimated by state institutions that claim to be its citizens' guardians. Underpaid and Unrecognized: State-Induced Unfree Labour begins from the premise that, in the UK, the modern state does not merely tolerate unfree labour; it produces and profits from it.

The rise of a precarious workforce has been the subject of study and concern over the past decade. But there is a growing sector of workers who enjoy even less protection due to their exclusion from traditional labour rights and regulations. Importantly, this work is not considered 'illegal', but rather is initiated and organised by governments. The book focuses on four UK case studies: prison work, workfare, work within immigration detention centres, and internships. This work creates surplus value for not only the State, but also for private corporations.

Authors Katie Bales and Amir Paz-Fuchs analyse the legal position of these workers and reflect on the growing privatisation of State functions Building on work developed by sociologists and socio-legal scholars, the authors develop the position that this labour should be considered 'unfree' and explore the ways in which the exploitation of such workers could be reduced through collective action, the recognition of workers' employment status, and the expansion of employment rights.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bales, Katie

Paz-Fuchs, Amir

Inhaltsverzeichnis

- 1: Introduction

- 2: Exploring the State's Hidden Workforce

- 3: Working without a Job: Why Are They Not Workers?

- 4: Unfree Labour

- 5: Positioning Unfree Labour at the Centre of the Labour Analysis

- 6: The Political Dimension: Neoliberalism, Privatization, and State Complicity

- 7: Power to the Workers

- 8: Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Katie Bales is an Associate Professor in Law at the University of Bristol. She teaches subjects in labour and employment law, migration, public law and socio legal studies. Her research centres on forced migration, labour law, political economy and the welfare state. Katie was previously the co-editor of the inter-disciplinary 'Futures of Work' blog, she is a trustee for the Bristol City of Sanctuary charity, a working group member for the Sanctuary Scholarships team at the University of Bristol, and founder of the Bristol Queer Parents Network.

Amir Paz-Fuchs is the Head of Sussex Law School and Professor of Law and Social Justice at the University of Sussex. He teaches and researches in labour and employment law, jurisprudence, social rights and social justice, and legal aspects of privatisation. In 2014, he established Sussex Clinical Legal Education, was Founding Director of the Law clinics until 2022, and still leads the Employment Law Clinic. Outside of the university, Amir volunteered as an Employment Specialist and a Trustee for Citizens Advice West Sussex.