ABSTRACT
To talk about a "working class" in the developing societies of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East might initially appear premature, both in a numerical and sociological sense. But the relative invisibility of the working class in developing societies also arises from persistent misconceptions at the political and ideological levels. In another sense, it was not in the interests of colonial capital to detach workers too violently or completely from the land: their low-wage policies could then be justified by reference to the idea that workers had a supplementary income from their agricultural produce. The working class in peripheral countries is thus set for an enormous quantitative expansion, especially if the number of workers in the small open-air sweat shops is considered. There is little evidence to suggest that the urban poor, the small-scale traders, or the peasantry have accepted the image of selfish unionised urban workers held by planners, officials and politicians.
