Labour process theory in the ecological crisis

The articles collected in this special issue apply labour process theory (LPT) to analyses of the ecological crisis and thereby develop conceptual extensions to its basic frameworks. This editorial posits that such extensions are necessary on two levels: on a historical level , it becomes clear that in the present conjuncture many labour conflicts are shaped or even triggered by the ecological crisis. Even without any green transformation, the ecological crisis will spark adaptation conflicts on all levels of the politics of production. On a general level , if the labour process can be understood as a social metabolism with nature, all work is imbued with an ecological dimension. Consequently, all ‘politics of production’ are also ecological politics or ‘metabolic politics’. As with labour, nature retains a degree of autonomy in production processes, which has significant impacts on the development of work.