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The Working Day

In Chapter 10 of Capital Vol. 1—‘The Working Day’—Karl Marx reveals at least one central concern within his project: namely the relationship between labour time and free time as a site of antagonism under capitalism. In this chapter I offer a perspective on the politics of animal labour that takes the working day as a main site of problematization and contestation. I argue that while a concept of a ‘working day’ is applicable to some animal labourers, a defining characteristic of most animals labour under capitalism—particularly that of animals in intensive forms of agriculture—is the reality that the working day never stops: all time is labour time for these animals. I further argue that a focus on labour time offers a different and productive base for pro-animal politics, and for alliance building. At least one curious set of resonances here are the strong demands being made by other social movements—such as environmental justice movements—to ‘slow down capitalism’ through reduced work, reduced production, and reduced consumption.