Definition of wage slave

The term "wage slave" is a figurative expression that describes individuals who are forced to work for extended periods in order to earn a living wage. The origin of this term can be traced back to the industrial revolution, when factories began employing workers on a large scale. These workers were often treated as nothing more than cogs in the machine, with little regard for their individual rights or well-being. This analogy of a "slave" stemmed from the fact that workers were often forced to work for long hours in dangerous and unhealthy environments, with no real way to improve their circumstances. Their working conditions, along with severe poverty and growing social inequality, brought to mind the plight of slaves in American history, who were also forced to work for little or no pay. The term "wage" in this phrase refers to the compensation a person receives in exchange for their labor. In a capitalist system, the capitalist class, who own the means of production, determine how much their workers will be paid. This arrangement puts workers at the mercy of their employers, as they need their wages to survive. As a result, they become dependent on their jobs, just as a slave is dependent on their master. The term "slave" itself, while often conflated with race, should be understood more broadly to mean someone who is completely controlled by another person in terms of their livelihood. The use of the term in "wage slave" underscores the idea that the people working in factories during the industrial revolution were not in control of their own labor or lives, and that they were at the mercy of their employers in ways that were reminiscent of slavery. Today, the term "wage slave" continues to be used as a way to critique economic systems that prioritize the needs and desires of the capitalist class over the well-being and autonomy of workers.