Outsourcing and workers: revisiting some questions

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to introduce the issue of outsourcing and its consequences for workers. Although it not be a newness into capitalism, once a sort of subcontracting have always been present even in industrial production and services, the outsourcing of activities has reached an unprecedented degree in the context of flexible capitalism. It has been a kind of reduced costs and increased business competitiveness, but, in general, it has meant for workers a way to raise precariousness of work and employment relations. However, this process to be diverse and complex. To discuss this process and its effects on workers, I do briefly revisit some issues such as despatialization of production, immateriality of services and specific situations such as the use of workers' cooperatives, old and new occupations such as construction sector and telemarketing, as well as forms differentiation/stigmatization of workers in large companies accordant with the kind of contract.