▁this ▁case ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁w age ▁labour ▁itself , ▁the ▁worker ▁is ▁left ▁at ▁the ▁mer cy ▁of ▁comm od ities ▁and ▁the ▁cycles ▁of ▁capital ism , ▁but ▁not ▁at ▁the ▁wh im ▁of ▁the ▁capital ists ▁who ▁pay ▁their ▁w ages , ▁who ▁will ▁lower ▁w ages ▁during ▁a ▁decrease ▁in ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁labour , ▁but ▁will ▁resist ▁efforts ▁to ▁increase ▁w ages ▁during ▁the ▁cy clic al ▁ups w ings ▁and ▁despite ▁any ▁other ▁factors ▁which ▁might ▁increase ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁labour ▁back ▁to ▁its ▁average , ▁natural ▁level . ▁▁ ▁Thus ▁ins isting ▁that ▁workers ▁can ▁not ▁only ▁ex ert ▁pressure ▁to ▁increase ▁their ▁w ages ▁as ▁a ▁reflection ▁of ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁their ▁labour ▁as ▁a ▁comm od ity , ▁but ▁must ▁in ▁fact ▁organ ize ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁l est ▁the ▁inher ent ▁press ures ▁of ▁capital ism ▁reduce ▁them ▁to ▁" one ▁level ▁mass ▁of ▁broken ▁w ret ches ▁past ▁salv ation ," ▁Marx ▁non eth eless ▁decl ares ▁union ism ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁force ▁so ▁long ▁as ▁it ▁restrict s ▁itself ▁to ▁a ▁def ensive ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁what ▁can ▁only ▁amount ▁to ▁histor ically ▁average ▁w ages , ▁without ▁attempting ▁to ▁abol ish ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁w age ▁labour ▁itself . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Mar x ist ▁books ▁Category : 1 8 6 5 ▁speech es ▁Category : 1 8 9 8 ▁books ▁Category : 1 8 9 8 ▁in ▁econom ics ▁Category : Book s ▁by ▁Karl