Putting a value on the value of labour power

THE labourer is obliged to sell his labour-power to the capitalist because labour-power is the only commodity which he has to sell. Its value is equal to its subsistence defined as a cultural minimum plus the expenses of education and training.

The value of labour–power is determined in the case of every other commodity, by the labour-time – necessary for its production, thereby working.

If the owner of labour-power works today, tomorrow he must again be able to repeat the same process in the same conditions with regard to health and strength.

His means of subsistence must be sufficient to maintain him in a normal state as a labouring individual. The labour-power withdrawn from the market by wear and tear and death must be replaced by, at the least, an equal amount of fresh labour–power.