Yes and no. Of the $40 the worker is shorted, a portion goes to the capitalist and a portion goes to the buildings they work in, the machinery they use and the raw material they consume. The benefits of those things accrue to the capitalist even though it was finance with the value created by the labor of the worker. Only the upfront costs to begin a business are attributable to the capitalist. All the growth of that business is attributable to the value created by the work being marshalled by the capitalist.
I'm not sure that the $40, as a percentage of wage, would even cover my sick and annual leave, professional indemnity insurance, insurance against accidental injury, professional body costs, registration costs, mileage and expenses claims, clothing costs, immunizations, continuing professional development costs and the other things I guess I have missed. My employer is good.
Agreed. but I would argue that a) the upfront costs to begin the business are significant, b) the benefits also accrue to the workers insofar as a growing business provides ongoing employment, and c) the marshaling of work is itself a form of work. It's not like you just tell 200 workers to turn up somewhere and production/distribution/sales happens automatically.
