ABSTRACT
The position of labour is fundamentally different under Socialism from that under capitalism. Labour is the only factor of production credited with the capability of creating value, so that it alone can be remunerated. As labour is the only source of personal income there is a general obligation to work, in accordance with the principle 'he who does not work shall not eat'. The labour discipline code has been substantially liberalized since the mid-1950s, and the labour turnover appears to approximate that in Western countries. Although labour enjoys considerable freedom from directive planning, there is a high degree of centralization and control over the determination of wages. One of the traditionally accepted laws of socialism is that the growth of productivity of labour should exceed the rise in wages. Labour is less subject to directive planning than other facets of the Socialist economy.
