7 SUMMARY AND PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS The very term»new working class«, which is often used these days, indicates that the working class has changed considerably in recent decades: it has become more diverse and includes not only production workers but also service workers. Our study also shows that the working class today comprises a very differentiated group of employees who tend to position themselves in the middle of society. The working class are the people who»keep the show on the road«. Whereas in the past the term meant those who did physical labour, often in crafts or manufacturing, nowa­days the service sector is very much part of it. Taking into consideration also financial situation and stressful working conditions, however, office workers, small traders and the solo self-employed should not be left out. There are grada­tions of pay and societal recognition in all occupational classes. In fact people are very aware of the striking differ­ences within each job group, depending on the employer, or whether the employees are covered by a collective agree­ment. Such diversity may be one of the reasons there is so little political mobilisation across occupational classes. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean that class consciousness no longer plays a role. On the contrary, people are ex­tremely sensitive on the subject of what they perceive to be fair and what not. »But I go to work really so that I have enough to live on and that doesn’t really leave room for luxuries, and I suppose that also is what working class means to me.«( Hairdresser, 40 years of age, Leipzig) This well describes the tightrope that many members of the working class have to walk on an everyday basis. Their pay is enough to cover their daily»nut«, perhaps with one holiday a year, albeit one that they have to save up for. They are scarcely prepared for the»exigencies of life« (Friedrichs 2021: 16) because their monthly wage is scarce­ly sufficient to enable them to build up any assets, as we explain in the chapter»Working Society«. A broken wash­ing machine, an unexpected car repair or work absences because of illness with their attendant loss of income im­pose a major financial challenge on them. This also has knock-on effects on their time and social resources, such as housing and pensions. While our data show that most(two-thirds) workers are satisfied with their jobs, their working conditions and their position in society the surveys show that the policy measures needed to tackle this are not confined to labour policy but encompass societal life as a whole, ranging from social policy through pension provision to the issue of whether employment models are adequate to take account of current distributions of roles and tasks in society. In conclusion we would like to emphasise the following five points: — »I know I’m at risk of falling over the edge« worries a 60 year old textile production worker about his finan­cial situation. In order to get a grip on this sense of tee­tering on the edge people need a functioning welfare state and an economic policy that treats workers not merely as means to an end, but as key elements in the national economy. Among other things this requires strong labour representatives and a policy that pro­motes collective agreements in all sectors. And it isn’t just a matter of increasing social benefits. Besides bet­ter pay, first of all it’s all about security of living condi­tions: an adequate pension after a working life punctu­ated by parental leave and sick leave, and a housing policy that ensures affordable rents for people on medi­um or lower incomes. Among the working class this ap­plies in particular to service workers, who dispropor­tionately live in rental accommodation. — »To be honest, even if I won the lottery I would still go to work because frankly I just need it.« This is what a 28 year old female chimney sweep said about her rela­tionship to her job. People’s jobs mean more to them than just a way of earning money. They are all about personal development and a feeling of doing something worthwhile for society. People are proud of their work, and especially those in jobs that keep the whole show on the road feel that they get too little respect for their work from politicians and employers. Individual policy measures of course are not enough to do much about 46 WORKING CLASS IN THE MIDDLE?  NOVEMBER  2024  FES diskurs