Chapter 49. Size matters: universal basic income as a strategy for decent work

Universal Basic Income (UBI) has gained increasing traction as a response to rising unemployment and labor insecurity. Advocates argue that it fills an important gap in social protection systems, empowers workers to reject exploitative conditions, provides compensation for uncommodified activities and enhances social cohesion. Its universal character avoids costly targeting errors; while its unconditional nature protects the poor from coercion into workfare. UBI is also seen as an efficient means of social provisioning, bypassing costly state bureaucracies. However, critics contend that UBI only can only effectively decommodify labor if the value of the transfer is sufficient to meet households’ reproductive needs and it is complimented by public services. Otherwise, UBI will simply subsidize capitalist accumulation and reproduce unequal power relations. Evaluating UBI’s liberal and progressive arguments reveals nuances in its value, relationship with other welfare systems, and impact on worker power, which is crucial for informed policy decisions.