Maravi

The dignity of work

The dignity of work
By The Post
Tue 16 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

HUMANITY should be the artisan of its own destiny, responsible before history, creator of its own culture and civilisation, an act which becomes more urgent in the process of the socio-political changes in which we are living. This means that persons should have a real and direct participation in the action against structures and oppressive attitudes and for a just society for all.

This participation will be made manifest by the awakening of critical consciousness and by the activity which demands that channels for participation and decision-making be created. Only thus can we avoid the myth of a formal democracy which hides a situation of injustice.

Actually, if beyond juridical laws a more profound sense of respect and service of one another is lacking, and even of an equality before the law, it could serve as an alibi for fragrant and constant exploitation, for effective deceit.

This participation goes beyond the limits of law or governmental organisms, even if these were designed to favour it, because we must prevent popular participation from being channeled along a predetermined line or under political leadership.

It should be a creative and autonomous process. In addition, there is no political participation without economic participation. That is why we must affirm that work provides a legitimate and primordial title of property over goods.

This implies a new, fundamentally humanistic conception of the economic process, which surpasses the exploitative system, where capital was privileged and work was considered as marketing.

The experiences lived by our people lead us to reject this exploitative system, in its economic expression as well as in its ideological basis, which favours profit and exploitation. We should therefore aim toward the creation of a qualitatively different society.

By this we mean a society wherein the willingness of justice and solidarity reigns, one that will respond to generous aspirations and the search for a more just society, and where values and responsibility which will guarantee the integral development of our people will be realised.

The great majority of our working people are getting a very raw deal. As Fackson Shamenda has correctly observed, a lot of challenges resulting from the current political climate and the general economic trend are making things very difficult for the workers of this country.

Job losses are making things very difficult for the leaders of our trade unions and their members. And in these circumstances job creation becomes cardinal.

But there is more to the question of unemployment than just its economic and social costs, severe as they are in our country today.

Even if unemployment did not impact negatively on the economy, and even if it was not a cause of so many social problems our people are today facing, it would still be a denial of an essential element of human dignity.

Through work, we cooperate with the Creator in bringing to fulfillment the created world; we exercise our God-given abilities and talents as co-workers with God in the great task of transforming our material world. Work is not simply an onerous necessity, coincidental with our physical existence, a burden which we should try to escape.

It is a vital part of our humanity, the manifestation of our creativity, an opportunity for our growth and fulfillment. Indeed, work is nothing less that a constituent dimension of the purpose for which the world was created and for which we ourselves were brought into being.

Of course, it is not always easy to discern these noble ideals in all the different kinds of work which we experience. Many of our people, perhaps even the majority, today find themselves working in exploitative or demeaning situations which are as much of an affront to their dignity as unemployment would be.

What is needed, therefore, is not just work, but humane and dignified work. Nevertheless, we are concerned for the present purposes with the need for work itself to be available to all our people, work which, however humble or exalted it may be, satisfies our innate desire and responsibility to reach fulfillment.

That so many of our people are denied this opportunity is a shameful injustice, especially since it is so often the result of excessive pursuit of profit or of economic policies which fail to take adequate account of the inherent value and dignity of the human person. Work is indeed a right, a right which, as a nation, we fail to respect at our peril.

In this regard it is disturbing to note the current tendencies to blame and lay the suffering of workers at the door of the workers themselves and their organisations.

There is a common thinking, a very shallow one, that organised workers constitute an elite which, through demands for higher wages without corresponding increases in productivity, is responsible for the inability of the economy to create more employment.

However, there is no evidence to show that, in the absence of demands for higher wages, employers take on more staff.

A culture which recognises the imminent dignity of the worker will emphasise the subjective dimension of work. The value of any human work does not depend on the kind of work done; it is based on the fact that the one who does it is a person.

There we have an ethical criterion whose implications cannot be overlooked. Thus every person has a right to work, and this right must be recognised in a practical way by an effective commitment to resolving the tragic problem of unemployment.

The fact that unemployment keeps large sectors of our population, and notably the young, in a situation of marginalisation is intolerable. For this reason, the creation of jobs is a primary social task facing individuals and private enterprises, as well as the state. As a general rule, in this as in other matters the state has a subsidiary function; but often it can be called upon to intervene directly.

The priority of work over capital places an obligation in justice upon employers to consider the welfare of workers before the increase of profits.

Making profits is inconceivable without responsibilities to the common good. It should be subordinated to the principle which states that goods are meant for all.

Access for everyone to the goods needed for a human, personal and family life worth of the name is the primary demand of social justice.

The serious socio-economic problems that occur in our country today cannot be solved unless new fronts of solidarity are created: solidarity of the poor among themselves, solidarity with the poor to which the rich are called, solidarity among the workers, and with the workers.

Institutions and social organisations at different levels, as well as the state, must share in a general movement of solidarity. Solidarity is a direct requirement of human and supernatural brotherhood.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that the person of the worker is the principle, subject and purpose of work. The creation of jobs is a primary social task facing individuals and private enterprise, as well as the state.

The rights of workers, like all rights, are based on the nature of the human person and on his or her transcendent dignity. Among these rights are: a just wage; a work environment not harmful to the workers’ physical health or their moral integrity; social security, and the right to assemble and form associations.

Therefore, unions which enable workers to improve their conditions should be valued and promoted by everybody in our country.

Remuneration for work should guarantee our people a dignified livelihood for themselves and their families. And the government should regulate industries and commerce to protect workers’ rights and to curb exploitation.

The roles of business owners and management have a central importance from the viewpoint of society, because they are at the heart of that network of technical, commercial, financial and cultural bonds that characterise the modern business reality.

For this reason, the exercise of responsibility by business owners and management requires constant reflection on the moral motivations that should guide the personal choices of those to whom these tasks fall.

The motive of business should be not only to make profit but even more to contribute to the common good of society. Businesses should be characterised by their capacity to serve the common good of society. The sense of responsibility in economic initiative should demonstrate the individual and social virtues necessary for the development.

A business enterprise must be a community of solidarity. We are all called to use our talents through our work in order to build up the good of our country.

Every human being in our country should have the chance to enjoy the well-being necessary for their full human development.

We say this because the roots of human rights are to be found in the dignity that belongs to each human being. Therefore, respect and promotion of all human rights is essential for human development.

Employees have a strict duty to give their employers efficient and conscientious work for which they have a right to a just salary.

Work provides an opportunity for each of us to show that we are images of God. We say this because God is Creator and we, every man and woman, show forth God’s image when we continue creation through our work, our labour, our engagement in shaping our Zambia of the future.

We should therefore condemn all forms of enterprise that place profit before persons and are based on the exploitation of one by another.

Clearly, people’s work concerns not only the economy but also, and especially, personal values.

This is why work is rooted in respect for human dignity; it is done by a collection of individuals who have chosen to come together and to unite their minds, wills and hearts for the common good. If our country is to move forward, honest and hard work is demanded of all of us.

Labels: LABOUR

posted by MrK @ 3:56 AM