The Working Class comprises of those who are engaged in manual labour or industrial work. The yardstick is waged or salaried contracts.
Workers have only labour power. They sell their labour to make a living.
Karl Marx argued that the working class or the proletariat only sell their labour, but do not own the means of production and the accumulated capital. According to him the lumpen proletariat are more poor, underemployed or unemployed such as day labourers or homeless people.
With increased industrialization and so-called development module, the future is not promising for the working class. Health issues, low income related problems, uncertainty of job security, housing issues, good education for children, exploitation by money lenders and money changers, oppression by dons and thugs, police harassment, slum life, low image of society about working class, low wages, denial of even minimum wages and leave regulations etc. are some major issues faced by the working class.
Honest politicians, committed social interveners, active NGOs, unbiased media etc. can play a great role in improving the lot of the workers and in ensuring justice for the working class.
(Arrupe Tribal Cultural Centre, Bhognadih, Jharkhand, India.)