The relationship between the two has been under scrutiny especially during and after the Industrialization Period (in the continents of America and Europe). The relationship cannot be said to be friendly, as the two seem to be always in constant tension.
Karl Marx in the end began to have materials for his philosophizing work. He stood for the labor - which to his estimation was being exploited by the capital. He cheered for the proletariat, and despised the capitalist. He predicted the triumph of the working class (read: labor) and vouched for the downfall of the capitalists. He told about the inversion of the “order” - this time, the toilers will lord it over the moneyed.
So much for the ideology… We get back to real and present life situation.
While much has already improved in terms of alleviating the plight of the workers, there is still much to do to put it at least in par with the pedestal of the capital. Actually, to date, the capital is still parasitic in its stance towards the labor.
The analogy proves to be extra applicable. Parasitism is about a relationship between two organisms - a host and a parasite. A host is always bigger than a parasite, but the parasite is always ending up in this symbiosis at the receiving end after it inflicts reduction of the host's capacity, pathology or impairment to the host, and even host's behavioral modification. For parasites exploit their host for food, shelter and even dispersal.
Between capital and labor, labor proves to comprise the ground on which the capital - tiny section as it is of the entire economy - stands. But because the over-all system is favorable to it, then capital is able to exploit its host. And unless the relation between the two is improved, the capital will almost and always exploit the labor.
When is the relationship improved? In what occasions can capital not parasitic to labor?
In actual management, it is always expected that capital - to promote and pursue its interests - would squeeze all the juice out of the labor. And, expectedly, the labor would oblige. For it is for this that it exists -- at least, as created by the system.
But what the capital fails to grasp is the fact that the labor also needs to be replenished. Should the capital keeps on squeezing the bodily fluid of the labor, the result is the demise of the workers.
Unjustifiably, the capital concerns itself only with its own interest…
And even a degree or graduate study on management can make the capital transcend its narcissism and realize that should the labor turn against it the capitalist agenda will surely suffer.
(communism will win!)