Underpaid and Unrecognized: State-Induced Unfree Labour (Oxford Labour Law)

Unfree labour is not a relic of pre-modern economies, nor a peripheral concern within contemporary labour regulation.It is not confined to criminal enterprises or the illicit margins of the market.Rather, it is sustained, expanded, and legitimated by state institutions that claim to be its citizens' guardians.Underpaid and Unrecognized: State-Induced Unfree Labour begins from the premise that, in the UK, the modern state does not merely tolerate unfree labour; it produces and profits from it. The rise of a precarious workforce has been the subject of study and concern over the past decade.But there is a growing sector of workers who enjoy even less protection due to their exclusion from traditional labour rights and regulations.Importantly, this work is not considered 'illegal', but rather is initiated and organised by governments.The book focuses on four UK case studies: prison work, workfare, work within immigration detention centres, and internships.This work creates surplus value f