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Tendency towards a New International Division of Labour: Worldwide Utilisation of Labour

Force for World Market Oriented Manufacturing


Author(s): Folker Frobel, Jurgen Heinrichs and Otto Kreye
Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 11, No. 5/7, Annual Number: Limits of Export-Led
Growth (Feb., 1976), pp. 159-161+163+165-167+169-170
Published by: Economic and Political Weekly
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4364363
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Tendency towards a New International
Division of Labour
Worldwide Utilisation of Labour Force for
World Market Oriented Manufacturing
Folker Frobel
Jurgen Heinrichs
Otto Kreye
The vresently observable worldwide industrial relocation in manufacturing (uithin the traditional
indutstrialcentres and towards the periphe?y) is the resUlt of a qualitative change of the conditions for capital
expansion and accumlulation enforcIng a new international division of labour. To pose the problem in
terms of an absoluite fall of the profit rate in the traditional manufacturing centres forcing capital to re.-
locate part of its prodzuctionwou,ld be quiite inadequate. The quiestion to be answered (which is, in fact, an-
swered by the movemnent of capital) is whether production at the tradlitionalsites of production or production
at new sites provides for better expansicn and accumutlation of capital under "given" conditions.
As yet, it is hlardlypossible to estimate the extent of the displacement of manufacturing resulting
from the trend towairds uworldwideindustrial relocation. There is evidence, however, that iz somneplaces
in the world a significant part of the labour force which belonged to the industrial reserve army onlyl a few
years ago has been converted into an active labour army in the ineantime. There are indications that not
only the border regions of Wester? Euirope, not only Middle America, North Africa, South Africa and
Southeast Asia, butt increasingly so Eastern Europe, Souith America, Central Africa and South Asia are
providing sites for relocated manzufacturing.
develops the wage labour/capital rela- capitalist social formations and of the
Modes of Capital Expansion and tionship as well as the productive forces developing capitalist formation itself
Accumulation only if (a) the restraints (often extra- are transformed and developed such as
economic ones) which impede further to allow not only for appropriation of
THE economic, social and political
development of wage labour and pro- abstract wealth at this or that particu-
history of the last five centuries has
ductive forces can be overcome, and lar opportunity, but, concomitantly, also
been shaped by the capitalist formation
if (b) greater profits can be made in for continuous reproduction-of the pre-
of society on a worldwide scale, how-
this way. In other words, the deter- conditions for further capital expansion
ever mulch class struggle of the op-
mining force behind capitalist develop- and accumulation. Rather schematically
pressed (e g, in the Russian, Chinese
ment is expansion and accumulation of speaking and ignoring interconnections
and Cuban revolutions) aims at consci-
capital, and not an alleged absolute for a while, oine can distinguish two
ous reconstitution of society. According
tendency towards the extension and principal formiisfor ensuring this:
to Marx's analysis of Capital, which
deepening of the wage, labour/capital
will be adopted in the present paper, (1) Non-wage labour relations of sub-
relationship or of the productive forces.'
expansion ("Verwertung") and accumu- sumption to capital are established
lation are the objective basis of the Thus, considering the law of motion and preserved, mainly by extra-
movement of capital and unlimited underlying capitalist formation of so- economic force exerted by slave-
appropriationiof abstract wealth is the ciety, it is imperative for historical holders, feudal landlords, the state,
sole motive of the capitalist in so far as analysis of capitalist development to be etc, which enable the capitalist
he funotions as the conscious represen- aware, first of all, of the different class to appropriate permanently
tative of this movement. modes of capital expansion and accu- part or most of the surplus produce
It would appear, therefore, that the mulation (which, in turn, draw upon of the direct producers.
analysis of capitalist development has different modes of produiction, preserv- (2) The direct producers are deprived
to proceed from the process of capital ing, dissolving, adapting and combin- of their means of production (-
expansion and accumulation and its de- ing them according to what the exi- primitive accumulation/original ex-
terminants, i e, its exigencies, oppor- gencies, opportunities and obstacles of propriationi)anid are forced, thence,
tunities and obstacles, and not, e g, capital expansion and accumulation seemingly through "the dull com-
from the development of the wage under giveen and/or self-generated con- pulsion of economic relations"
labouir/capital relationship or from the ditions may afford). alone, to sell their labour power
development of the forces of produc- Now capitalist fornmation of society, permanently on the labour market
tion, the creation of a free labour force in order to provide for unlimited ap- to the owners of the means of
and the unfolding of productive forces propriation of abstract wealth and ex- producition in order to earn sub-
being only a particular means amongst pan.sion and accumutilation of capital, sistence (- capital accumulation
others (albeit decisive ones under speci- prestipposes policies and mechanisms proper on the basis of the specific
fic conditions) for securing expansion through which the economic, social and capitalist relation of production).
and accumulation of capital. Capital political conditions of pre- and non- The modes of capital expansion and

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Annual Number February 1976 ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY

accumulation pertaining to alternative involved indicates the obstacles and the dies (including labour force) extracted
no 1 include profitable utilisation of large amount of sheer force, class con- from "non-capitalist", "traditional" or
slave labour, of coerced labour (share- flict, cultural degradation, social in- "backward" sectors and excessive utili-
cropping, etc) and of contract proces- security and, more often than not, mi- sation of human material temporarily
sing in "non-capitalist" economies. Ac- sery which are inherent in the creation even beyond the limits of individual
cording to an established terminology, and stabilisation of these preconditions.4 physical reproduction enable to trans-
the underlying modes of production are form, "within certain limits, the labour-
Once a class of "free" wage labour-
called "non-capitalist". Historical in- er's necersary consumption-fund into
vestigations,
ers has been created, further expansion
however, disclose the a fund of the accumulation of capital"6
and accumulation of capital is made
policies, forces and mechanisms through even under conditions where the histo-
possible by means of increasing pro-
which these original modes of produc- rical elemiientof the consumption-fund
tion are, under appropriate conditions,
longation, of. the working day as long
is, by comparisoni, very small. Direct
modified such as to contribute to capital
as capital is not effectively bound by
production (as opposed to the produc-
expansion and accumulation. Thereby,
legal regulations, these being achieved
tion of the labour force and its means
not only the rise of capitalism is cover-
by the strength of workers' associations
of subsistence) is here performed within
ed, but more generally the subsumption
combined with the capitalists' recogni-
the specific capitalist relation of pro-
of non-capitalist social for-mations by
tion of diminishing returns on too long
working days. Of course, this possible duction of wage labour and capital. The
capitalism already in existence. For de- labour force itself and/or its means of
tails concerning the continuous repro-
source of profit is limited by the ma-
xirnuitmnumber of simultaneouslyexploit- subsistence are pr-oduced in "non-
duction of the preconditions of capital capitalist", "traditional", etc, sectors,
expansion and accumulation we have to
able working days available under "gi-
ven" conditions. By increasing produc- which, moreover, often have to provide
refer to the literature on the subject.2 for the "old" age care of the exhausted
These investigations are "historical" as
tivity of work (machinery, factory
system,....) and, as a consequence, in- labourers. The cost of labour force is,
viewed from the analysis of capital pro- therefore, to a high degree externalised
creasing the "rate of exploitation", the
per, in so far as the latter analysis, for as viewed from the capitalist sector
limits to capital expansion and accumu-
the points of transition, only presupposes proper. These "traditional"sectors, howy-
the (contingent) existence of the pre-
lation based on whatever mode are large-
ly disposed of (limits, e g, imposed by ever, are non-capitalist only in that
conditions for capital expansion and their material reproduction including
effective organisation of workers).5 The
accumulation, whereas the analysis of the produictionof labour force and (part
epoch-marking function of this specific-
the. release - whether by an intrinsic of) its means. of subsistence (benefiting
capitalist mode of production- provid-
process, or stimulated from outside via the capitalist sector proper) is performed
ed, of course, and to the extent that
commerce, overtly forcible means (which not within the specific capitalist mode
was historically decisive), etc, or by a
the conditions of capital expansion and
accumulation (largely duie to capitalist of production, or is based on low capi-
combination of the two - of certain tal intensity (relative to the respective
development itself) allow and/or pres-
elenments and processes conditioning the level of worldwide capitalist develop-
sure for it - is (a) to create the means
integration of the old social formation meiit) combined witlh increased physical
for making. the relative proportions of
into the capitalist one is not part of the exploitation of the work force employed
the active' and the reserve army of
analysis of capital seuisu stricto. Of therein (long working days, high in-
course, it is not necessary to stipulate
labourersdisposable within'certain limits
(i e, changeable for the benefit of maxi- tensity of work). It is these functions
that the protagonists of this releasing on behalf of which these "non-capi-
mum profits byr, e g, checking the in-
process subjectively aim at the deve- talist" sectors are integrated into and
crease of the historical element of the
lopment of capitalism per se. It is the even preserved in the worldwide pro-
labourer's consumption-fund)even under
objective function for expansion and cess of capital expansion and accumu-
conditions where the creation of wage
accumulation of capital, not the sub- lation. In addition, this integration is
labourers by primitive accumulation/
jective motive, which counts. often assured by a policy which is
As for alternative no 2, one has to
original expropriation has reached in-
devised exactly for this purpose.7 Do-
begin with the transitional modes of
surmountable demographic or social
mestic work and child care by wives
capital expansion and accumulation
liits, but also (b) to unfold the pro-
represents another and evidently very
(luctive forces including transportation,
which, for the first time, transform important related instance.8
money into the unlimited movement of
*communicationtand managerial tech-
capital on the basis of wage labour.
niques at an unprecedented rate, and
(c) to produce unprecedented material IH
This specific primitive accumulation!
original expropriation process produces
wealth even possibly in terms of mass Capitalist Development
a market for the labourer's means of
consumption goods, albeit in real his-
In all these modes of possible capital
subsistence and, most importantly, the tory with an absolute bias towards an
expansion and accumulation, the indi-
preconditions for further expansion and extremely skewed distribution both
vidual capital, driven by the greed
accumulation of
intra- and inter-nationally, including
capital seemingly after abstract wealth, organises the
absolute pauperisation of roughly two-
through "the dull compulsion of eco- production of social wealth ("wealth of
nomic relations" alone, i e, a class of
thirds of the population in the peri-
nations") by withdrawing the surplus
phery.
"free" wage labourers.3 The putting- product from the direct producer and,
out system ("Verlagssystem") represents As the last mode of capital expansion provided realisation has been achieved,
one pertinent case, the enclosure move- and accumulation to be mentioned, we r-ecapitalisingit at least partly. To be
ment in Britain another one. Each his- turn to a mechanism mediating be- distinguished from the production of
torical analysis of the transformation tween alternatives no 1 and no 2. Subsi- abstract wealth are all modes of redis-

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ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY Annual Number February 1976

tribution of the already somehow and inter-nationally ("unequal deve- capital expansion and accumu-
somewhere produced abstract wealth. lopment"). lation, culminating in the bour-
That means, the premiums to be paid (b) The short-, medium- and geois liberal state at one extreme
fol "protectivc" services mediating long-term cycles apparently in- and in the colonial administra-
capital expansion and accumuilation, all herent in capital expansion and tion at the other, or in the social-
metlhods of enrichmiient by fraud, rob- accuimulation,and the role there- democratic interventionist state
bery, 'commilercial over-pricing, specula- in of realisation, over-accumula- at one extreme and in the autho-
tion, usury etc, all redistributive mea- tion, etc, crises and of major ritarian repressive state at the
sures of the state, all for-ms of mono- inrnovationis ("ineven develop- other, corresponding to the res-
polv rents (based oni natur al monopo- imeit"). pective functions which the
lies or on mloniopolies due to patents, (c) The development of class struc- lifferent territories at a given
cartels, etc). ture, in particular the specific phase of worldwide capitalist
Thus, the world history of the last
role of (wage) labour in the development were (or were able)
fiv-e hutndred years, in so far as it was capitalist sector proper and in to accomplish in the worldwide
macie by man, is the result of (1) the the subsi(lising "traditional" division of labour established by
hiistorical speciality of differenit social sectors for stabilising capital ex- the expansioni and accumulation
formations, (2) the inherent logic of pansion and accumulation. Some of capital, but also corresponding
capital expansion and accumutlation quiestions which immediately to the balance of power in class
with its totalising tendency, and (3) arise are: Under which condi- conflict (infrastructure; private
(the attempts towards) conscious re- tions does "the dull cdmpulsion law; labour supply; channeling
constitution of society; In order to of economic relations" inherent of impending realisation crises
specify the present state of capitalist in the wage labour/capital rela- through regressive income poli-
formation of society, however, the ex- tionship provide for a more cies, export promotion, etc, in
ternally given restrictions imposed by efficient form of labourl control circumstances where the effective
nature also have to be accounted for, than other forms (tendency for demand for wage goods at homne
i e, the limitation) and uneven distri- making the surplus labour ac- is restricted, i e, where wages are
bution of natural resources enabling cruing to the capitalist class only a cost factor and not a
oligopolistic "abuse", and the physio- invisible in that wages appear demand factor, too;12 ensuring of
logical and, maybe, even physical to be the just, freely bargained motivations for smooth function-
restraints for unlimited upfolding of compensatioti for the services ing of the system by means of
social forces of production. Presum- performed by the respective the educational system, etc; con-
ably, capitalism is, because of the in- production factor, which induces tainment of social tensions re-
herent logic of competitive capital trade unionist mentality)? Under sulting from mass unemployment,
accumulation, structurally unable to which conditions is higher pro- etc . . ..)13
take these restrictions coherently into ductivitv and intensity of work In conclusion: Capitalist development
accouint. more efficiently assured by wage is the spatio-temnporalunfolding of 'hose
labour than by other forms of combinations of the modes of capital
A history of capitalist development,
labour control? Under which expansion and accumulation which,
then, would have to reveal in detail in
conditions is the creation and under "given" conditions (worldwide!),
which combination of modes and why
e.xtension of a market for the yield the maximum profit for the res-
when end where capital expansion and
means of stubsistence (including pective individual capitals. That means,
accumulation is unfolding itself spatio-
the historical element) of part of inter alia and most importantly, that
temporally. In other words, the task
the labour force in the centre capital expansion and accumulation is
would appear to be not only a detailed
descr-iption of when and where which
ftunctional or even necessary for transnational right from the outset.
overall capital expansion and (This is not contradicted by the, recog-
modes of capital expansion and accu-
accumulationi (as opposed to a nition that the "world" of capital is
mulation floturished, but at once an
relative increase of luxury con- still in the process of encompassing
explanation why tlis pattern and evo-
lution (properly taking into account the sumption or to an increase of literally the globe including the white
the effective demand for wage patches both geographically and demo-
prevailing restrictions, the self-generat-
ed conditions and class struggle) was goods also in the periphery)? In ,raphically.) What might appear as
both feasible and most profitable for
what sense, if at all, is the class national reproduction of capital turns
of "free" wage labourers in the oult, on closer inspection, to be repro-
individual capital and therefore - in
capitalist sector proper the bearer duction under conditions which make
line with the underlying approach
of historical progress in the capital expansion and accumulation, at
necessary.
capitalist formation of society (in this particular time, most profitable at
Of course, it is not at all possible this particular place. It is the condi-
a - doubtful - analogy to the
to accomplish all this here.10 More tioIns of present-day capital expansion
role perfonmed bv the rising
specifically, the following unsystemati- alnd accumulation that we turn to now.
bouirgeois class in West Euro-
cally compiled problem areas will not pean feudal society), and what
he adequately treated, let alone "de- III
are the lessons to be drawn from
duiced" here: this for political strategies? Present-day Conditions of Capital
(a) The splitting into centre and (d) The role of the different types Expansion and Accumulation
periphery and, presumably, semi- of states for creating and main- Very loosely speaking, one can dis-
periphery,'1 both intra- and taining the preconditions of tingulish four phases of the develop-

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ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY Annual Number February 1976

inent of the capitalist world system in cialist countries for capitalist enterprises, South Korea (55.3 hours in cloth-
tlhe last century: (1) a period essen- are integrate(d into the production pro- ing industry), 49.5 hours in
tially of free trade and colonialism up cess of capital - in case it should turn Singapore, 46.5 hours in South
to 1914 ("Pax Britannica"); (2) a crisis- ouit that this integration does not re- Africa, whereas it is 40.6 hours
ridden period of national protectionism, main restricted to negligible pockets of in the US and 42.7 hours in the
import substitution, mass unemployment, the economy. Thus, considering the FRG (figures for manufacturing
world economic cr-isis, fascism, major development of transport, etc, techno- in 1972).1'
inter-imperialist wars, decline of Britain, logy (see below), it appears justified to (3) There are only few indications
rise of USA and USSR, etc, between speak of the development of a world- on labour productivity and
1914 and 1945; (3) a period of the wide induistrial reserve army in this effective wage costs per unit of
reappearance of the market on a higher connection, becauise - and to the ex- output in relocated industries
level between 1945 and 1965 ("Pax tent that - all these potential labou- (this may not be accidental).
Amnericana'?), including national libera- rers "successfully" These indications reveal that,
compete with the
tion wars, the final breakdown of the for comparable production pro-
labourers in the traditional industrial
colonial system and the final instalment centres.1 ", In somewhat more detail, cesses, productivity corresponds
of economiiic dependency relations as a to that in the industry of the
this worldwide reserve army displays
substitute thereof ("dependencia"). traditional industrial countries.
It the following characteristics specifying
The United States Tariff Commis-
is almost conventional wisdom that by the economiiic terms of its potential
sion reported these findings for
now we are facing (4) the emergence uitilisation in the expansion and accu-
selected branches of industry in
of a new crisis period which may well mulaition process:
1970:
bring abouit new major adaptations (1) The reproduction cost including
within the capitalist world system re- the historical element of this Productivity Of workers in foreign
sulting e g, in authoritarian state rule labour force amounts to far less establishments assembling or process-
ing products of US origin generally
also in the centre, the rise of some than at the traditional locations approximates that of workers in the
semi-peripheral "ssubimperialist" powers, of industry; the wages actually same job classifications in the United
and even new inter-imperialist wars. to be paid by capital are fre- States. However, even for those few
Postponing the question of a new crisis instances in which foreign labour
quently even less than the cost productivity was significantly less
period for a while, easily observed phe- of reproduction, due to the sub- than that of United States wor-
nomena of the economic "system" like sidv mechanisms mentioned kers, the hourly earnings abroacl
imiassive in(lustrial relocation of manu- above. The figures given in the were such that, save for Canada,
labour costs per unit of output were
facturing within the centre and towards table are average gross wages. substantially lower in the foreign
the periphery, declining investment By accouinting for the differences than in the domestic establishment...
rates and rising structural unemploy- in social overhead costs, wages On the average (weighted by the
meint in some industrial branches in the value of reported imports) foreign
per hour in these countries can labour required 8 per cent more man-
centre, and increasing export oriented be estimated to amount roughly hours than the man-hours required
manufacturing in the periphery strongly to one-tenth of those in the US. by US workers to assemble such
suggest that present-day conditions of (2) The working day (the workinig articles as radios, phonographs, televi-
sion receivers and sub-assemblies, and
capital expansion and accumulation have week, the working year) per semicondtuctors. The foreign wage
ex;perienced fundamental qualitativxe labourer is considerably longer rates were such, however, that the
changes enforcing a new international than in the traditional indus- average foreign unit labour cost
division of labour. trial countries (on 'the average (again weighted by the value of re-
ported imports) in assembling articles
The following tentatively proposed 10 to 20 per cent longer than was 14 per cent of the US unit
set of conditions is supposed to shape in the United States and in the labour cost in the assembly of simi-
specifically present-day capital expansion Federal Republic of Gernany). lar articles. For the Far Eastern
The work week is 50 hours in countries (except Japan) the unit
and accumulation:14 labour cost ranged from 3 to 11.5
(a) The development of a huge po- Colombia (1970), 51.6 hours in per cent (avferaged 8 per cent) of
tentially available labour force. The
availability of this labour force is effec- TABLE: AVERAGE WAGES IN MANUFACTURING
tively unlimited in so far as capital can
call on the (reserve) armies of un- and Ghana (1971) 71.91 Ceclis 39.50 US $ per month
under-employed labour - be they of Morocco (1972) 0.96 Dirham1 0.21 US $ per houIr
the order of one or several hundred mil- Mauritius (1972) 6.68 Ruipees 1.30 US $ per day
lion - mainly Brazil (1970) 429.19 Cr1uzeiros 86.70 US $ per nmonth
in Asia, Africa and Colombia (1970) 5.90 Pesos 0.31 US $ per hoUr
Latin America, and even in socialist Mexico (1972) 1956 Pesos 156.60 US $ per month
countries. Most of this labour force Panama (1971) 0.92 Balboas 0.92 US $ per hour
consists of the latent overpopulation in India (1970) 227.10 Rupees 30.00 US $ per morith
rural areas which, through the employ-
South Korea (1972) 20,104 Woi 50.40 US $ per month
Philippines (1971) 245 Pesos 38.10 US $ per month
ment of capital in agriculture,. provides Yugoslavia (1972) 1592 Dinars 93.60 US $ per month
a continuous flow of people into the USA (19742) 3.81 US $ per hour
urban agglomerates and slums where W Germany (19?2) 7.24 Mark 2.27 US $ per hour
they constitute a nearly inexhaustible
supply of available free labour, force.'5 Note: The official exchange rates for the respective year are used for the
Another part consists of the workers equivalents in US $.
who, under contract processing- in so- Source: International Laboux Office, "1973 Year Book of Labour Statistics"
(Geneva: ILO, 1973), 574-82.

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ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY Annual Number February 1976

the US unit labour cost; for Mexico which allows for rapid and relatively tion of capital on a world scale only
it ranged from 15 to 21 per cent and cheap transportation among places. of
averaged 20 per cent. . . On the ave- generated the international division of
rage foreign labour required 3 per intermediate and/or 'final production labour in which, essentially, raw mate-
cent less man-hours than was re- and consumption of both large bulk rial producing countries exchanged with
quired by US workers to assemble goods and fragile or delicate wares by capital and consumer goods producing
such diverse articles as luggage, means of specialised ocean carriers,
baseballs, toys, footwear, gloves, containerisation and aircargo, as' well countries - i e, capital, which spread
photograph equipment, ahd scientific from Europe and later from North
instruments."8 as efficient telecommunication systems America and Japan, was only able to
The American labour union federa- data-processing techniques and other expand in the countries of Asia, Africa
tion AFL/CIO reported' in testimoniy organisational procedures. and Latin America through the produc-
before the Finance Committee of the (d) The deve,lopment of technologies tion of mineral and agricultural raw
American Senate: for the exploitation of previously in- materials.
As a result, foreign plants, operating accessible na'tural resources, including The main thesis now is that, rough-
with American technology, probably new methods of exploration and min- ly speaking, in the sixties the new set
are as efficient or nearly as efficient
as sinmilarfactories in the US. But ing, such as the use of satellite5 and of conditions for capital expansion and
With wages and fringe benefits th7at deep sea drilling in exploration, and accumulation became effectively opera-
frequently are 50 to 90 per cent ocean floor installations for exploitation. tive,21resulting first of all in industrial
lower - and longer working hours relocation in manufacturing, in 'the
the unit-cost advantage can be (e) The development of an internatio- beginning mainly in labour intensive
substantial."9 nal capital market which assures the production processes *(orin processes
An analysis of the members of the worldwide mobilisation and transfer of where
labour intensive techniques can
Association for Electronic Component capital. The principal institutionr of
effectively be substituted for more capi-
of the Federal Republic of Ger.nany this international capital market is the tal intensive
ones). Extra profits firstand
showed that a move to Tunisia of pro- transnationally operating and mutually then profits
pure and simple which are
duction of components for televisionl intertwined network of major banks.
high'er than the profits derived from
sets would lower the manufacturing
(f) The development of elements of traditional production sites are reaped
cost by 31 per cent; production cost an international superstructure to per- by relocation in
manufacturing, and
of loudspeakers could be lowered by
form, on a transnational scale, func- not only, as before, in plantation pro-
45 per cent. Compared to the FRG,
tions that are indispensable for the duction and mining. That is, the pre-
wage rates in Tunisia are up to 83
transnational reproduction of capital, sently observable worldwide industrial
per cent lower. Labour productivity,
but which individual capital either relocation in manufacturing (within
however, is the same..'0
cannot perform or which, in order to the traditional industrial centres and
(4) The labour force can be attract-
avoid competitive di,equilibria, capital -towards the .periphery) is the result of
ed and repelled nearly limitless-
requires from national and international a qualitative change of the conditions
ly. That means, inter alia, that
public institutions. In other words, for capital expansion and accumulation
higher labour intensity can. be
however much the transnational expan- enforcing a new international division
enforced by quicker exhauLstion
sion and accumulation of capital takes of labour. To pose the problem (of
of the labour force; exhauisted
advantage of national disparities (of how to account for the apparent trend
labour force can be replaced by
infrastructure,' profit taxation, wage towards 'a new international division
a fresh one almost without
level, labour legislation, etc), the exten- of labour) in terms of an absolute fall
restrictions.
sion and deepening of transnational of the profit rate in the traditional
(b) The development and refinement -reproduction'nonetheless requires cer- manufacturing centres forcing capital
of a technology which makes it possible tain elements of an international super- to relocate part of its production would
to decompose complex pr6duction pro- structure. These elements include, for be quite inadequate judged from the ap-
cesses into elementary units such that instance, the rudiments of institutiona- proach proposed here.22 The
question
even an unskilled labour force can lised multilateral or bilateral co-opera- to be answered (which
is, in fact,
easily be trained to perform otherwise tion- in monetary and commercial policy answered
by the movement of capital)
complex operations (fragmentation of (IMF, GATT); tax agreements to avoid- is whether production at the traditional
jobs: skilled labour with a high cost double taxation; increasing compatibili- sites of production or
production at
of peproSuction can be replaced by a ty of systeiimsof training and education; new sites
provides for better expansion
corresponding multiple of simple la- international military co-operation. and accumulation of capital under
bour with, in total, a lower cost of
"given" conditions (or even for expan-
reproduction. Taylorism has progress- IV sion and accumulation at all).23
ed so far, especially in manufacturing,
In other words, the present "crisis"
that the mastery of the respective frag- Tendency Towards a New
(growing unemployment; growing num-
ments of technically highly complicated International Division of Labour
ber of bankruptcies and mergers, even
processes now very often requires a It was, predominantly, capital itself of major firms, in the qentre; etc, etc)
training period of no more than a few which, through its centuries-long ex-
that is often and presumably correctly
weeks even for previously totally un- pansion and accumulation, produced
-described as the expression of a world-
skilled labour. these conditions in terms of relations of wide long-term cyclical recession should
(C) The development of a technology production, forces of produc'tion and be explained, in line with the present
which renders industrial location and superstructure. In one fortn or anothier approach, as the joint effect of the
the direction of production itself in- most of tiese 'conditions were gradual- trend towards a new international divi-
creasingly less dependent on geogra- ly developing already for a longer pe- sion of labour and of . the obstacles
phical distances. This technology in- riod. But as long as the full sets was (e g, impending massive devalorisation
culdes modemn transport technology, not effectively developed, the reproduc- of fixed assets and "labour unrest" in

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Annual Number February 1976 ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY

the centre, faulty infrastructure and relocation.26 There is evidence, how- of the labour force can be secured in
"political instability" in the periphery) ever, that in some places in the world more subtle ways, seem to be gaining
wvhichslow down the implementation a significant part of the labour force importance as well. These are the Free
of the trend.24 which belonged to the industrial re- Production Zones on the one hand (in
serve army only a few years ago has A-sia, Africa and Latin America) and
"Industry hurries around the globe
in search of industrial location"; been converted into an active labour contract processing and related modes
"Bringing machines to labour force,"; army in the meantime. Such reductions of submission to capital on the other
"Medium companies likewise plan of certain segments of the industrial (in socialist countries).
foreign investment"; "German shoe in- reserve army in some regions - e g, Free Production Zones (Free Trade
dustry goes abroad"; "Japanese comn- female workers in the electronics and Zones, Export Fabrication Zones, Ex-
panies invade Indonesia". These head- textile industries of South Korea, Singa- port Processing Areas, etc) are industrial
lines from the business press (a random pore and Malaysia - are now com- estates which are specifically designed
sample from hundreds of similar ones pensated for by the mobilisation of the as enclaves for optimal utilisation of
in recent years) evidence in their way labour force in other regions. There labour force. There is a lot of those
that capital - nearly irrespective of are indications that not only the border zones in countries of Asia and Latin
size - has started, for the sake of sur- regions of Western Europe, not only
America, such as South Korea, Ma-
vival, to reorganise transnational repro- Middle America, North 'Africa, South
laysia, Colombia and Panama; in other'
duction according to the changed con- Africa and Southeast Asia, but increas-
countries, for instance India, Indo-
ditions of capital expansion and ac- ingly so Eastern Europe, South Ameri-
nesia, Egypt, Seniegal and Jamaica, they
cumulation. Reorgnisation of production ca, Central Africa and South Asia are
are in planning or under construction.
according to worldwide (however une- providing sites for relocated manu-
qually distributed) supply of disposable facturing. Their principal function consists in at-
cheap labour figures foremost. tracting worldwide operating capital.
For this pulpose, special installations
The relocation of parts of production V and privileges are assigned to them.
into countries with vast industrial re- Their standard equipment includes fac-
serve armiiies and low prices of the Production Arrangements
commodity labour force commenced in Specifically Responding and tory halls, energy supply, deep -water
countries with close geographical' and
Contributing to the Tendency harbours, airports,and other infrastructu-
commercial links to existing industrial towards Industrial Relocation ral instalments. Their privileges include,
centres. US industry transferred pro- The structure and extent of the above all, tariff and tax exemption and
duction foremost to Western Europe utilisation of the worldwide available subsidised inputs. As a rule, they are
and to countries "south of the border"; labour force do not depend only on located near urban conglomerates or
West European companies transferred seemingly purely economic conditions, in heavily populated rural areas. Thus,
production to regions of Europe such that is, the relative labour costs per they permit the industrial utilisation of
as Eire, Greece, Portugal, South Italy; unit of output, the relative size and labotur force even in "backward" re-
Japanese industry relocated mainly to structure of the respective regional in- gions granting labour supply on the
South Korea and Taiwan. At the same dustrial reserve armies, etc. The social favourable terms exposed above. Almost
time, industry recruited labour force in and political conditions that capital exclusively, they are designed as loca-
countries wnith high unemployment meets or is able to impose or to "en- tions for world market factories ("Welt-
rates and transferred it to traditional courage" are also decisive. It is deci- marktfabiiken" in German business
production sites: "Gastarbeiter" in sive whether effective union organisa- telrminology), that is, only production
Western Europe, immigrant workers tion, labour struggles and strikes are (intermediate or final products) that is
(Mexicans and Puertoricans) in the US. tolerated or suppressed by the state; marketed outside the local market is
In the meantime, capital in many whether the state imposes restrictions admitted. Designed as enclaves, integ-
industrial branches is "hurrying around on capital movements, profit realisation rated into the world market, and - in
the globe in search of industrial loca- and transfer, or whether the free move- a sense -'isolated from the local eco-
tion". Not only more or less labour ment of capital is guaranteed by the nomy, they shield the reproduction of
intensive industries, but also raw mate- state. It is also decisive, furthermore, capital from the adverse conditions of
rial, energy and pollution intensive pro- whether, at the locations of potentially "backwardness"in that they isolate the
ductions are transferred to places with available labour force, the state does or work force (which is concentrated in
cheap labour if these places also pro- does not offer fiscal subsidies, public con- them) from its social environment, as-
vide for favourable conditions with tributions to private investment, technical sure tight control of labour unrest, and
regard to the other factors. Not only infrastructure and the training of the provide for the protection granted by
investment, capacities and production labour force. There is ample evidence a transnational superstructure. Thus,
are increased at new locations, but ex- that the relocation of production occurs, they are increasingly becoming favourite
isting productfon is closed down at above all, into those countries which sites of relocated industries (almost ir-
locations which have b)ecome obsolete offer total freedom in the movement respective of firm size).27
for the expansion and accumulation of of capital and which, suppress all labour Expanded trade relations and trans-
capital, and is re-established at other organisation and strikes. In many parts fer of technology are well-known modes
locations.2.5
of the world these conditions are in- through which "non-capitalist" econo-
As yet, it is hardly possible to esti- creasingly enforced by growing militari- mies are integrated into the capitalist
mate the present extent of the displace- sation. Nonetheless, some other arrange- world market and, eventually, submitted
ment of manufacturing resulting from ments, through which favourable socio- to capital. Contract processing ("Lohn-
the trend towards worldwide industrial poiltical conditions for the utilisation veredelung") is another mode to this

166

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ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY Annual Number February 1976

effect. Under contract processing, tion. But assumptions to the contrary develop and decline or disappear at a
capitalist enterprises transmit inter- (namely, that the undeniable trend al- velocity hitherto unknown. Capital which
mediate products to factories under luded to here will be stopped or even is attracted to one region today may
contract in "non-capitalist" economies reversed) seeml to encounter difficulties leave again tomorrow, only to return
(e g) for further processing. On sending in indicating sufficiently powerful coun- possibly again the day after.
back the fnished products, the "non- ter-tendencies. Therefore, we prefer to
capitalist" economy receives payment for stick to the assumption mentioned and This rapid and far-reaching mobility
the job performed. There is evidence to spell out some of its implications of capital and relocation of production
that this process is rapidly evolving in without adding to many reservations on occuts as a function of the requirements
present-day Eastern Europe. Yugoslavia behalf of other possibilities. of capital expansion and accumulation
and textile and garment industries figure without regard to the consequences
If one is to assume that the process thereof for the welfare of the peoples
foremost, but other countries (Hungary,
of worldwide industrial relocation will affected thereby. On the contrary, in
Poland,...) and other industrial bran-
proceed fairly unhampered, some eco- many cases, e g, Chile, Sahel, Bangla-
ches (electronic components,...) are in-
nomic consequences would be: Partial desh, the development or extension and
volved as well. It is fairly clear that
export-oriented manufacturing ifidus- intensification of conditions of produc-
contract processing, -under prevailing
trialisation of less developed countries tion which do not permit the reproduc-
circumstances, is profitable for capitalist
in Asia, Africa and Latin America tion of the labour force may be an
enterprises, not to mention its indirect
which, however,, leaves these countries essential - and intentional - aspect of
disciplining effect on the capitalist work
dependent on the traditional industrial this worldwide expansion of capital
force proper. It is equally clear that
centres for technology, equipment, which at the, same time requires and
contract processing fits into the evolv-
managerial techniques, etc; relative de- generates the -- repressive - political
ing socio-political structure and domi-
industrialisation of the traditional in- institutions and social formations to
nating industrial development strategy
dustrial centres; transnational decentrali- permit and support this process. It is
of present-day East European countries.
sation of production processes through instrumentalised and enforced by the
Of course, this kind of involvement in
the manufacture of the various parts of very impulse or compulsion that various
the capitalist world market must not by
a particular product at different places parts of the world have at this stage
necessity induce additional capitalist
on the one hand, and centralisation on of capitalist developiiient to compete
transformation including private property
of the means of production in the tradi- the other hand of production processes with each *other in the attraction of
tional sense. But it does induce an in- through the concentrationin a few places capital by offering the most favourable
terest in the functioning of the world
of the manufacture of a particular pro- local, conditions for the expansion of
market and of transnational capital which
duct for the world market; growth of capital. Capital relies on the state for
are to provide most efficiently for the
the active labour armies in some parts its expansion and accumulation; but it
technology desired for the first steps
of the world, and increase in unemploy- need not rely on any particular state.
according to the "first catch up, then ment and pressure on real wages and
The increasingly vast masses of the
overtake" ideology. One should recall, working conditions in other parts of
population of large parts of the world,
however, that in Eastern Europe not the world; further intensification of
of course, pay a terrible tribute to this
only a stable, disciplined, existing competition among enterprises
relatively anarchy of capital expansion and
cheap labour force is provided by the that expand their transnational opera-
accumulation. Beyond death from
state administration, but also that cer- tions, and origination of new competi-
starvation, Idesease, war and other
tain standards of payment, working con- tive relations among individual capitals
capitalist man-made "natural" disasters
ditions, health care, etc, are guaranteed which previously competed only in-
(such as the drought and/or flood
by government or, in certain cases, are directly; accelerated transnational con-
precipitated Sahel and Bengal famines),
enforced by workers power (cf, Poland centration and centralisation due to the
the potential and actual labour force
190), in striking contrast to most coun- intensification of transnational competi-
must be appropriately prepared, dis-
tries properly dominated by capitalism. tion favouring the multinational corpo-
ciplined and mobilised to play its
ration which operates most flexibly under
assigned role in the worldwide expan-
VI the conditions of transnationalreproduc-
sion and accumulation of capital. This
tion, notwithstanding all the national implies new developments in the
Some Speculation on the Future and international restrictions and decla-
Development of the Capitalist educational policies and institutions to
rations to control its activities.
World System provide for the appropriate training and
To the extent that the locational qualification, though not necessarily
For these concluding remarks, it will flexibility and even mobility of indus- education, for most members of the
be assumed that the trend towards a trial production is becoming a reality, emerging labour force. This,, will be
new international division of labour as the hitherto known regional divisions one task of the state in many "new"
described will be implemented notwith- of the world into industrialised centres countries as it has been in the "old".
standing the obstacles which may slow and non-industrialised peripheries will Another related one is to discipline the
down the. process. In other words, it be superseded by divisions according work force and other sectors of the
will be as.-omed that the present "crisis" to highly sophisticated productions on population through the development of
wiR ne ,nd up in a new phase of one hand (development of advanced corporate institutions, the massive
massive national protectionism, inter- technologies, software, etc) and indus- propaganda to encourage "voluntary"
imperialist wars, etc. It must be admit- trial productions using known technolo- compliance to the needs of capital
ted at once that the future development gies on the other. Regarding these expansion and accumulation, and of
may prove thiis to bJe a faulty assump- latter, oldl and new industrial areas will course thle provision of thei residually

167

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ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY Annual Number Februaiy 1976

necessary physical force to repress Comparative Analysis", Cormpliarative op cit, chapter 24 ("Die soge-
population. Studies in, Society atnd History vol nannte ursprungliche Akkumula-
16, no 4, 1974, 387-415. tion"), Paul Mantoux, "The Indus-
Trade unionist strategies of defending trial Revolution in the Eighteenth
2 See, e g, Stephen Ilymer, "Robin-
labour against capital try to adapt to son Crusoe and the Secret of Pri- Century", revised edition (London:
the changed conditions, e g, by the mitive Accumulation", Monthly Mtethuen, 1964); Karl Polanyi,
creation of "WVorldCouncils" for single
"The Great Transformation: The
Reviewv, vol 23, no 4, 1971, 11-36; Political and Economic Origins of
miiultinational companies. This is a Samir Amin, "Le developpement our Time" (Boston: Beacon Press,
formidable task. To take just one actual inegal. Essai sur les formations 1957; fi-st published 1944); Chris-
sociales du capitalisme Peripheri- topher Hill, "Reformation to In-
pertinent example, the social democratic
(11e" (Paris: Les Editions de Mi- dustrial Revolution" (Harmonds-
government of the Fedcral Republic of nuit, 1973); Andre Gunder Frank, worth: Penguin Books, 1968);
Germany with mute, albeit reluctant, "'Accumulating Exzploitation". Vol Edward P Thompson, "The Mak-
approval of the unions is presently I: "To the Industrial Revolution" ing of the English Working Clas.s"
cutting back real wages in order to (typescript, 1974); Immanuel Wall- (Harm-ondsworth: Penguin Books,
erstein, "The Modern World system. 1968); Stephen Hymer, op cit;
induce more investment at home (the
Capitalist Agriculture and the Ori- WVilliamLazonick, "Karl Marx and
general strategy of West German gins of the European WVorld-Eco- Enclosures in England", The Re-
capital is, at present, at best to replace nomy in the Sixteenth Century" view of Radical Political Ecor.o-
an& to rationalise its existing invest- (New York and London: Academic mics, vol 6, no 2, 1974, 1-59.
ments in the FRG, and to place its new Press, 1974). 5 See the chapters on the production
investments elsewhere in the world); at "As soon as people, whose produc- of the absolute and of the relative
tion still moves within the lower surplus value in Karl Marx, op cit.
the same time, profits of most of the forms of slave-labour, corvee-labour, 6 Karl Marx, op cit, 626-E 562.
big German based companies are are drawn into the whirlpool of an 7 See, e g, Giovanni Arrighi, "Labour
soaring whereas unprecedentedly many international market dominated b.y Supplies in Historical Perspective:
small and medium companies (which the capitalist mode of production, A Study of the Proletarianisation
the sale of their products for ex- of the African Peasantry in Rhode-
are economically too weak to move sia" (originally published 1969), in:
port becoming their principal in-
abroad) are collapsing, with a sharp terest, the civilised horrors of over- Giovanni Arrighi, John S' Saul,
increase of structural unemployment as work are grafted on the barbaric "Essays on the Political Economy
a result. In this state of affairs, the hqrrars of slavery, serfdom, etc. of Africa" (New York and London:
room for manoeuvre of trade unions Hence the negro labour in the Monthly Review Press, 1973, 180-
Southern States of the American 234; Harold Wolpe, "Capitalism
(even if internationally, aimed) appears and Cheap Labour-Power in South
Union pireserved something of a
to be very narrow., In conclusion, it patriarchal character, so long as Africa: From Segregation to Apar-
may be hazarded that hunger revolts, production was chiefly directed to theid", Economy and Society, vol
social upheavals and military conflicts immediate local consumption. But 1, no 4, 1972, 425-56; Michael
seem more likely to lead to fundamental in proportion, as the export of Williams, "An Analysis of South
cotton became of vital interest to African Capitalism - Neo-Ricardi-
changes in these trenids (if at all) than anism or Marxism", Bulletin of
these states, the over-working of
trade union activity, popular front the negro and sometimes the using the Conference of Socialist - Eco-
strategy and other, maybe, unforeseen up of his life in 7 years of labour riiomists,vol 4, no 1, 1975; Ruy
became a factor in a calculated and Mauro Marini, "Dialectica de la
political forces. Nevertheless, fpr dependencia"
calculating system. It was now a (Mexico: Era,
conscious reconstitution of society, 1973); Ruy Mauro Marini, "Wirts-
cniestion of production of surplus-
organised political action seems to be chaft, Gesellschaft und Politik im
labour itself. So was it also with
indispensable. the corvee, e g, in the Danubian
abhangigen lateinamerikanischen
Principalities
Kapitalismus" (mimeo, 1975);
(now Rounmenia)."' Claude Meillassoux, "Developpe-
Karl Mfarx, "Das Kapital", vol I, menou exploitation", L'homme et
Notes in: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, la societe, nos 33/34, 1974, 55-61.
[The present paper draws from "Ten- "Werke", vol 23 (=MEW 23) 8 Cf, e g, the current debate in New
dencies of Contemporary Capitalism," (Berlin: Dietz 1972), 250; English Left Review.
background paper prepared by Folker translation: Karl Marx, "Capital",
Frobel, Jurgen Heinrichs, Otto Kreye vol I (Moscow: Progress Publish- 9 In the long run, less so of natural
for the Working Session on the Inter- ers) (_ E), 226-7. raw materials (because of the pos-
national Economy held at the Max- sibility of recycling), more so of the
3 According to Eric J Hobsbawm's climate (because of the possibility
PManck-Institut zur Erforschung der interpretation of the origin of the
Lebcnsbedingungen der wissenschaft- of its irreversible deterioration due
"Industrial Revolution" in Britain, to increased energy transforma-
lich-technischen Welt, Starnberg (Fede- the stable domestic market mainly
ral Republic of Germany), December tion). In the short run, these
for mass consumption goods pro- restraints may well necessitate ma-
12-14, 1974.1 vided the broad base (exports jor crisis-ridden adaptations of
1 This assertion, which may appear backed by the systematic and the capitalist world economy.
to be very dogmatic, can, in a aggressive help of government, 10 But see, e g, the books by Samir
sense, only be justified by its capa- the spark) for a generalised Amin, Andre Gunder Frank, Im-
city to provide for a more coherent industrial economy. See Eric J manuel Wallerstein or Eric J Hobs-
interpretation of the history of Hobsbawm, "Industry and Empire" bawm cited above. For some
capitalist development than, say, (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books,
1969), chapter 2.
rudimentary pertinent remarks,
interpretations based on assump- see Folker Frobel, Jurgen Hein-
tions about the co-extension of 4 See, e g, Josef Kuliseher, "Allge- richs, Otto Kreye, Osvalo Sunkel
capitalism and wage labour, or meine WVirtschaftsgeschichte des "Internationalisierung von Kapital
about an automatic development Mittelalters and der Neuzeit"% 2 und Arbeitskraft". Leviathan, vol
of the productive forces. See Im- vols. (Darmstadt: Wiss. Buchge- 1, no 4, 1973, 429-54.
manuel Wallerstein, "The Rise and sellschaft, 1971 - reprint of 1929 11 See Immanuel Wallerstein's article
Future Demise of the World edition), vol II 133-37 et passim cited in footnote 1.
Capitalist System. Concepts for (for "Verlagssystem");Karl Marx, 12 See Ruy Mauro Marini, op cit,

169

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Annuial Number February 1976 ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY

13 See, e g, Robin Murray, "The (FRG). In 1974, employment figures or even decreasing, whereas em-
Inter-nationalisation of Capital and in West Germany in these two ployment figures in W German
the Nation State", New Left Re- branches decreased by more than sul)sidiaries abroad are presently
view, no 67, 1971, 84-109. In this 10 per cent. increasing at a 10-11 per cent rate
connection, consider Immanuel 26 A case study documenting the per year.
Wallerstein's thesis that the unlity change of employment figures of 27 A case studv of six Free Production
of the capitalist world 'system is WVest German companies 1)oth ab- Zones in Mfalaysia as well as a
conistittuted hy the capitalist world road and at home is being pre- documiiientation of these zones in
co)nOilly and not by a political pared in the Max Planck Institute, Asia, Africa aind Latin America is
world empire. Starnberg (FRG). Employment presently prepared in the Max
14 It is take n for granted bere that figures in W Germany are stagnating I'lanck Instituite, Starnberg (FRG).
a hiistory of capitalist developmenit
as conceived above would be able
to explain these conditions as the
result of capitalist development
hitherto.
15 Cf, the article by Claude Meillas-
soux cited in footnote 7.
16 Anibal Quiijano Obregon, "The
Marginal Pole of the Economy and
the Marginalised Labour Force",
Economy and Society, vol 3, no 4,
1974, 393-428, is rather sceptical
as to the possible extent of this
type of competition exerted by the
"mar-ginalised labour force" of
Latin America. We bave to refer
to the discussion below.
17 International Labour Office, op cit,
- 481-2, 500.
18 United States Tariff Commission,
"Economic Factors Affecting the
Use of Items 807.00 and 806.30 of
the Tariff Schedules of the United
States. Report to the President..."
(Washington: TC Publication 339,
1970), 171-3.
19 Committee on Finance, United
States Senate, "Multinlational Cor-
porations. A Compendium of Pa-
pers... " (Washington: US Gov-
20
ernment
S tddeutsche
15, 1974.
Printing Office, 1973), 67.
Zeitung, November those with skill but I
21 "Effective operation" means, in
this connection, that capital ex-
pansion and accumulation respond-
ingr to the new set of conditions
no money. You hadI
i e, possibilities and necessities
oce
-
- compare, in terms of
favourably with capital expansion
profit,
mayha
benter be comenesQutafeto us.of
and accumulation alongside tradi-
tional lines, and, therefore, result
in a new international division of

22
labour.
It is not the point here to dispute
the possible existence of such a
We wil
fall.
23 Of course, this is to be taken cum
grano salis. Even if it is accepted
that the greed after maximum and
Hinance you.
not "normal", "legitimate", etc,
profit rates is the law imposed by We have schemes. Quite a few of
competitive capital expansion
national
and them for people just like you.
accumulation, protective
measures (and the threat thereof) Schemes which will help you set up
nonetheless may enforce capital to your enterprise,make a decent
establish less profitable production
sites for securing prospective mar- living.. and marchtowards prosperity.
kets.
24 Essentially, this formulation was Fordetailscontactournearestbranch.
used by Giovanni Arrighi in the
Working Sessioii on the Interna-
tional Economy, Starnberg, De-
cember 12-14, 1974.
25 A case study designed for docu-
menting this process in the West mohoarht7fa
German textile and garment indus-
tries is presently undertaken in the 1177, BudhwarPeth,BajiraoRoad,
Max Planck Institute, Starnberg Poona-411 002
1,0 TQMe 8AY,'BM7530 E

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