The Contribution of Catholic Social Teaching to Labour Law

Abstract

Abstract This chapter explores the contribution of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) to ethical reflection on work and its practical implications for labour law. It concludes that CST makes a valuable contribution because it articulates a justification for labour rights premised upon the dignity of the human person. CST proposes an understanding of dignity that is infused with the principle of solidarity. This means that dignity entails just relationships between workers and their employers. In CST, the ethical significance of work lies in the fact that it is performed by human persons, a dimension that has increasing salience in the face of digitalization. In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, dignity entails the participation of workers, including through trade unions. The chapter argues that CST offers insights into the content and direction of contemporary labour law. Applied to EU labour law, it finds that the latter is broadly congruent with CST’s belief that the market must be ordered to serve the common good. It observes, however, that the dignity of work has not yet established itself as a strong influence upon EU labour law. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the relationship between faith and labour law. It maintains that faith-based perspectives can play a constructive part in public deliberation on the regulation of work. Such dialogue may also facilitate religions in their own critical reflection on how they apply their beliefs to modern contexts.