Shares and Share Ownership

[Harry_Perkins]

Hi all, I'm new here. Just interested in everyone's thoughts on this topic:

If a worker gets shares in his company and therefore, technically, owns part of the means of production, is he no longer a worker?. If not, why not?. And what are people's views in general with regards to shares and share ownership?. Are we as workers playing into the bosses hands by getting them?.

[gilhyle]

How does s/he earn his/her living ? By the expenditure of his/her labor power or by living off the profit assigned to capital ?

Share ownership schemes tend to provide a minimal portion of the income of those down the hierarchy and the majority of the income of those at the top of the hierarchy. This is no accident.

Many people gain some of their income from both sources; it is a matter in practice of identifying the tipping point - but the question is really academic since when if ever does one want to judge of a person whether he or she is technically a worker ?