The is the standard buffet. If a worker deems his labor worth $10 per hour, and he is thus paid, it is not theft if the item is sold for $11. Should the worker decide that his labor is worth more but that is unattainable in his current situation, then he has the right and the ability to change his situation by taking his assets (his experience and his labor) to another producer or to begin producing on his own.
He can. Of course this assumes he can go without a job while finding another, that unemployment is not 9-10%, that his skill set permits this, and that there are other employers in his field that he can apply to.
It is never a free interaction, when one man must work to avoid starving, and another man lives off the work of others.
In a "good" economy, the interaction is more fluid and approaches freedom to a higher extent (for example, near universal employment, or when there's aggressive competition between employers).
In "bad" times (high unemployment or monopoly of employers), it's merely serfdom with a human face.
Think the people who make our shoes and shirts have the freedom to go work another job?
Contrary to over a hundred years of ideological thinking, profit is not evil. I will go even further to say that profit is what allows us, all of us, to maintain our own personal lives and hobbies. For if we never made profit on our labor or production, if we lived to provide only for our needs and the needs of others, then we would do nothing but labor from the time we wake until the time we rest.
"Evil" is a nonsensical term. In economic and social situations, there's class interest and material realities.
It is not in the interest of the worker to have food sold at a profit from giant companies, when it could provided at virtually no cost to every citizen.
It is not in the interest of the corporation to have food available for free, as that would reduce the dependence of the worker on the corporation.
Neither is "evil" or "good", they are simply serving their respective class interests, as they must.
As far as whether we labour all day, ask in your average Foxconn plant. I imagine they'll have some answers that are different from our cushy western vantage point.
Without profit, chances are the company wouldn't exist long enough to make it's employees make ends meet
A publicly traded company must generate increasing profits, or it will be sued by it's shareholders.
A privately owned company can operate at a level where it can continue operations and pay it's workers, and many do.
Absence of profit does not indicate that losses are incurred.
