ABSTRACT
At the same time that the postwar period saw the gradual creation of a new accumulation regime characterized by the intensification of capital and an acceleration in the growth of labor productivity, regulation procedures underwent a profound transformation. Competitive regulation was replaced by regulation based on imperfect competition including monopolistic structures and administered pricing. Direct wages underwent a long, durable upward trend, while the indirect wage spread with social transfers. Likewise, the wage relation was considerably modified, in terms of both production conditions and social relations, leading to an improvement in the individual work contract, the recognition of unionization, and the appearance of collective agreements. Wages came to obey new laws: the rhythm of industrial activity exercised a less direct influence; a de facto wage-price index gradually came into being, and certain sectors assumed leadership roles. In sum, this more regular and sustained rise in wage income allowed the rapid advance of a new consumption standard from the 1950s on.
