FOUR in 10 workers are putting in a full extra shift every week. And they are not getting paid for the extra hours.

In strict economic terms this is an increase in the rate of exploitation. And the fact that many employers get away with it reflects the imbalance in class power.

One measure of this ever-shifting balance of power is the number of workers in trade unions. Another is the proportion of workers in the labour force covered by collective agreements between trade unions and employers or employers’ organisations.