Page 48 - DIVA_No.18_2005

Work or No Work:

The moral and social

teachings

Ita Marguet, August 2004

"Laborem Exercens On Human Moral and social dimen- Introductory statements in the These concerns appear clearly in
Work is the subject of the sions of Human Work Declaration of Philadelphia the Preamble of the Constitution
encyclical issued by Pope John declare "Labour is not a com- of the ILO which cites "condi-
of
Paul II on September 15, 1981. In a translation released by the modity; freedom of expression tions
The pope explains that he had Vatican, an English text of the and of association are essential labour. . . involving.. . injustice,
planned to issue his third encyclical On Human Work to sustained progress; poverty hardship and privation to large
encyclical in May of that year anywhere constitutes a danger numbers of people". The
defines that it means any activi-
but that the attempt on his life for prosperity everywhere." International
Labour
ty by man, whether manual or
delayed completion of the writ- This Declaration was adopted Organization was created in
intellectual, whatever its nature
ing. on 10 May 1944 by the 1919, at the end of the First
May 15 was the 90th
or circumstances; it means any
Labour
anniversary of Pope Leo XIII'S International
World War, by the Treaty con-
human activity that can and
Rerum
encyclical
social Conference at its 26th Session. cluding the peace conference
must be recognized as work, in
Novarum that are its introduc- Edward Phelan from Ireland which convened in Paris, then at
the midst of all the many activi-
tory words. In his third encycli- was then Director-General of Versailles. It is also the oldest
ties of which man is capable and
cal, Pope John Paul II states that the International labour Office. specialized agency of the United
he wishes to devote this docu- to which he is predisposed by The Declaration of Philadelphia Nations. The ILO's raison d'étre
his very nature, by virtue of
ment to human work and, even indeed preceded the adoption of is clearly set out in the Preamble
more, to man in the vast context humanity itself. . .Work is one of the Universal Declaration of to its Constitution and can be
of the reality of work. He recalls the characteristics that distin- Human Rights in 1948 which, summed up in few words ... to
that the church considers it guish man from the rest of crea- otherwise, might not have contribute to universal and last-
her task always to call attention tures, whose activity for sustain- included as many reference to ing peace through the promotion
to the dignity and rights of those ing their lives cannot be called workers' rights as it actually
and development of social jus-
who work. He calls attention to work. . . Thus work bears a par- does.
tice. Its values have been funda-
those rights at a time when the ticular mark of man and of mental to the international recog-
world is ... on the eve of new humanity, the mark of a person The need for an institution, such nition and authority of the
developments in technological, operating within a community as the International Labour Organization. The unique fea-
economic and political condi- of persons. And this mark Organization, had been advocat- ture of the ILO is its tripartite
tions which, according to many decides its interior characteris- ed in the nineteenth century by structure. Wherever people are at
experts, will influence the world tics; in a sense it constitutes its two industrialists, Robert Owen work, their problems are in some
of work and production no less very nature. Certainly work is (1771-1853) of Wales and Daniel
than the industrial revolution of part of 'what is old" - as old as Legrand (1783-1859) of France. way the concern of the
Organization. The ILO has
the last (nineteenth) century, man and his life on earth. The initial motivation was
humanitarian but it was accom- brought workers', employers'
Into the twenty-first century has Nevertheless, the general situa- panied by political and social and government representatives
anything changed? Institutional needs. The condition of work- together to devise measures to
tion of man in the modern world improve the conditions and wel-
frameworks are in place and studied and analyzed in its vari- ers, more and more numerous
national, regional and interna- and exploited with no consider- fare of working people all over
ous aspects of geography, cul- the world. Many of its universal
tional instruments have been ation for their health, their fami-
established to address the sub- ture and civilization, calls for ly lives or their advancement, instruments exist to promote and
the discovery and the new
Difficult philosophical,
ject. was less and less acceptable. protect the rights of workers.
meanings of human work. It The ILO influence reaches the
moral, social and spiritual Robert Owen continued to be a
likewise calls for the formula- highest levels of spiritual organ-
debates continue and, if any- vibrant and public advocate
thing, have intensified to chal- tion of the new tasks that in this committed to improve the life izations, including the churches.
lenge the moral and social sector face each individual, the for workers and their families Pope John Paul II visited the
teachings about the universal family, each country, the whole through education and the pro- Organization and also addressed
nature and definition of human human race and finally the vision of decent working and a special sitting of the ILO
work. church itself. living conditions. Annual Conference on 15 June
50 Doa 1.2005