Crises as Catalyst: A New Social Contract Grounded in Worker Rights

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Labor Economics
• International Relations

Background:

• The convergence of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic inequality has severely impacted workers' health and their right to decent work.
• These global crises highlight the inadequacy of existing social contracts and underscore the urgent need for transformative solutions.
• Decent work is a fundamental determinant of health, making workers particularly vulnerable to the impacts of these intersecting crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critique the prevailing neoliberal social contract and its role in exacerbating current global crises.
• To analyze existing proposals for new social contracts, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and International Labour Organization initiatives.
• To advocate for a transformative social contract grounded in human rights, specifically workers' rights, to ensure health protection and sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of existing social contract frameworks.
• Review of international governance proposals and sustainable development agendas.
• Human rights-based approach to policy critique and formulation.

Main Results:

• The market-fundamentalist neoliberal social contract has contributed to or worsened the climate, pandemic, and inequality crises.
• Current proposals, including the 2030 Agenda and ILO initiatives, are largely built upon the existing neoliberal platform.
• There is a critical need to move beyond neoliberal frameworks to address the multifaceted challenges facing workers.

Conclusions:

• A new social contract is essential to mitigate the devastating impacts of the intersecting crises on workers' health and rights.
• A human rights-based social contract, prioritizing workers' rights, offers a pathway toward greater health protection and a sustainable future.
• Transformative social policies are necessary to ensure decent work and safeguard the health of workers and their families globally.