<p>The reserve army situation is the triadic relationship between employers, employees, and unemployed workers. In competitive capitalist labour markets, employers hold power over employees through their capacity to threaten replacement by the unemployed. Although Marx and Engels described this triangular structure, its moral dimension remains unexamined. This article fills that gap by offering the first axiological assessment of the reserve army situation. The question is what explains the relational badness of this triadic relationship. One natural answer is domination: the reserve army situation is bad insofar as employers hold arbitrary power over employees. This captures the vertical dimension of power, but it overlooks the interests of the unemployed. Another answer is estrangement: the situation is bad insofar as labour markets pit the employed against the unemployed. This captures horizontal rivalry but remains compatible with asymmetrical concern. To complete the picture, I introduce a third answer: solidarity. The reserve army situation is also bad insofar as it undermines mutual concern between the employed and the unemployed. As trends like automation risk exacerbating the reserve army situation, a correct relational diagnosis is crucial for an adequate response.</p>