Book Review: The Conformist Rebellion: Marxist Critiques of the Contemporary Left

Abstract

the historical outline of the international labour movement, it examines the contemporary renewal of labour protest as the working class has shifted southwards and has been reinforced in high-income countries. The chapter also examines the circumstances and outcome of labour protests in manufacturing, service and mining. The industrial action of labour movements, more often than not in spontaneous forms of organized labour outside the formal trade union structure faces formidable challenges. Chapter 8, A Socialist Approach to Migration, presents a socialist perspective of migration, in which countries have a simple and egalitarian registration process; the architecture of the world system no longer generates cheap labour and work is revalued according to the social needs of communities. It highlights the political economy of the condition for the abolition of the capitalist migration regime, labour-driven development on a national basis, rejection of the international law of value, and social and cultural development. In the context of labour beyond capitalism, Hannah argues, social transformation requires the use of technological development and structural change that relocate and reconfigure production in the interests of workers, not profit, to avoid the forced competition between workers of different countries. She further argues that the issue for economic transformation is not the generation of more wealth; it is how to use this wealth to ensure genuine development, which demands the recognition that the generation and distribution of wealth are based on social relations. Finally, this chapter argues for a programme for migration and on mechanisms to advance the quality of movement by means of regulating the labour market in the interests of all working people. The book is quite engaging and can be used as a reference text for the scholars of social sciences in general and migration and labour studies in particular.