Truck system

A truck system is an exploitative form of employment — or, more specifically, unfree labour — under which workers are: paid in a form of limited direct credit or tokens, which may only be used at a company store, owned by their employers, or; paid in unexchangeable goods and/or services. These systems have usually only been enforceable in small and geographically/culturally-isolated rural areas, especially mining, woodcutting and plantation communities.

Related Topics:
Exploitative - Employment - Unfree labour - Mining - Wood - Plantation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Truck systems and company stores are sometimes identified with debt bondage, although the latter works through advances on wages; by contrast, truck systems exploit workers and their families by controlling consumption of essential items, such as food and accommodation. Often, the only alternative to accepting a truck system is destitution for the workers and their families.

Related Topics:
Debt bondage - Consumption

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It should be noted, however, that in some limited historical circumstances, such as settler colonies, the use of truck wages — a form of payment in kind — may be convenient simply because of a poor or unreliable supply of cash. In such unusual cases, payment may be in large quantities of both tradeable and/or desirable goods, and is not in any way exploitative.

Related Topics:
Settler - Colonies - Truck wages - Payment in kind - Cash

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the developed world, most truck systems died out in the early 20th century, as workers and unions became better organized. In some countries, truck systems have been formally outlawed under a Truck Act.

Related Topics:
20th century - Unions

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One kind of truck system was immortalized in the chorus of the song "Sixteen Tons", written by Merle Travis in 1947:

Related Topics:
Sixteen Tons - Merle Travis - 1947

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another day older and deeper in debt.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I owe my soul to the company store.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~