ing ▁the ▁worker ▁a ▁w age ▁representing ▁a ▁certain ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁labour ▁performed , ▁the ▁remainder ▁effectively ▁being ▁un pa id ▁and ▁reserved ▁to ▁the ▁capital ist . ▁▁ ▁Because ▁this ▁arrangement ▁depends ▁ultimately ▁on ▁the ▁social ▁conditions ▁of ▁labour ▁and ▁production , ▁despite ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁apparently ▁natural ▁laws ▁gover ning ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁comm od ities , ▁within ▁these ▁limits ▁workers ▁can ▁organ ize ▁around ▁demand ing ▁a ▁higher ▁rate ▁of ▁pay ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁prof its ▁of ▁the ▁capital ist , ▁not ▁at ▁their ▁own ▁exp ense ▁as ▁argued ▁by ▁West on , ▁who ▁claims ▁that ▁capital ists ▁will ▁simply ▁raise ▁prices ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁sell ▁the ▁same ▁quantity ▁of ▁produce ▁at ▁a ▁rate ▁that ▁will ▁pay ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁quantity ▁of ▁labour , ▁effectively ▁can cell ing ▁out ▁any ▁w age ▁g ains ▁won ▁by ▁workers ▁through ▁union ▁activities . ▁▁ ▁Marx ▁arg ues ▁that ▁profit ▁is ▁derived ▁not ▁by ▁s elling ▁comm od ities ▁above ▁their ▁value , ▁in ▁which ▁case ▁capital ists ▁could ▁raise ▁prices ▁at ▁wh im , ▁but ▁that ▁comm od ities ▁sold ▁at ▁or ▁near ▁their ▁natural ▁value ▁produce ▁profit ▁because ▁workers ▁are ▁only ▁paid ▁for ▁that ▁portion ▁of ▁their ▁work ▁which ▁pays ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁labour ▁power , ▁i . e . ▁that ▁labour ▁which ▁generates ▁enough ▁value ▁to ▁pay ▁workers ▁their ▁w ages . ▁In ▁this ▁regard ▁Marx ▁distingu ishes ▁value ▁as ▁the ▁natural ▁price ▁of ▁a ▁comm od ity ▁through ▁the ▁labour ▁power ▁inv ested ▁in ▁it