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Does the Autonomous Dignified Worker Have the Right To Engage in Civil Disobedience? -Prof Anne Lofaso (WVU)

admin - 17th February 2016
Socio-Economic Rights and Labour Rights
25 July 2012. Gereida: Three women with a baby farm the land in Forika camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Gereida (South Darfur) during the rainy season. Women, children and elder people living in camps usually farm the surrounding lands and let men work in further areas in order to avoid robberies, rapes and other perpetrations. The area is controlled by the Government of Sudan forces. In May, the rebel movement occupied Gereida for 24 hours after a big clash that destroyed the telecommunications of the city and several buildings. UNAMID has deployed a battalion from Ethiopia (more than 800 soldiers) that assures the protection of civilians. Photo by Albert González Farran - UNAMID

In a just workplace, one governed by rules, regulations, and laws that reflect the values of autonomy and dignity, workers have a voice in workplace decision making (have become part authors of their working lives) and are treated with dignity.   These autonomous dignified workers are better able to fulfill the needs and wants of themselves and their family precisely because they work for a fair wage in a safe and just workplace.  But few workplaces, even in nearly just societies, perfectly reflect these values.  Given the mismatch between justice and reality, the question becomes:  At what point and under what conditions is the autonomous dignified worker entitled to engage in civil disobedience or uncivil obedience (e.g., work to rule)?  To answer this question, Professor Lofaso deconstructs the normally accepted features of civil disobedience, “a public, nonviolent and conscientious yet political act contrary to law, usually done with the aim of bringing about a change in the law or policies of the government”, asking whether these features are necessary.  Professor Lofaso then asks whether there are circumstances under which the autonomous dignified worker is justified in engaging in civil disobedience including whether non-punishment or violence is ever justified.

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