Low-skill no more! essential workers, social reproduction and the legitimacy-crisis of the division of labour

Workers in the realm of social reproduction – e.g. nurses, carers, cleaners, food preparation workers etc. are considered low-skill and poorly remunerated. During Covid-19 crisis they have been recast as ‘essential’, leading to unprecedented praise attention public discourse. Nonetheless, for these ‘essential’ so far has not translated into a commitment higher wages improved working conditions. In this article, we argue that skills hierarchies continue determine labour market outcomes inequalities. We pinpoint embedded logic capitalist relations, rather than being an expression features jobs themselves. also show how some socially reproductive sectors resist tendency automation precisely because prevalence therein workforce which is portrayed un-skilled. By focussing on low-skilled workers’ engagement various forms unrest their demands long overdue recognition wage rises. article puts question inherited skills-lexicon according low-wage unproductive lacking competence. The authors conclude fights dignity importance professions can facilitate rethinking division our societies.