Rerum Novarum and Labor Rights

Rerum Novarum (1891)

• Papal encyclical addressing Industrial Revolution challenges.
• Defended worker dignity, combating exploitation and manipulation.
• Key principles: worker dignity, worker rights (association, fair wages, safe conditions), employer obligations (just treatment, fair compensation).

Impact of Rerum Novarum

• Spurred social initiatives (worker orgs, unions, cooperatives).
• Influenced labor legislation protecting workers (children, women).
• Improved wages, working conditions, and worker education.

Laborem Exercens (John Paul II)

• Built upon Rerum Novarum, emphasizing work's personalistic dimension.
• Highlighted work's importance for human dignity and development in a globalized world.
• Described work as essential for economic and personal development, while acknowledging its challenges (toil, suffering, injustice).

Dignity of Work: Subjective and Objective Dimensions

• Objective: Resources, instruments, technologies used in production.
• Subjective: Worker as a person; dignity and vocation.

Labor's Priority Over Capital

• Labor is the primary efficient cause in production.
• Labor and capital are complementary.
• A just relationship between labor and capital is essential.

Worker Participation

• Workers have a right to participate in ownership, management, and profits.
• This ensures a just distribution of labor's fruits. Includes ownership stake, decision-making voice, and profit sharing.

Labor and Private Property

• Private property is subordinated to the universal destination of goods.
• Property use must serve the common good and not impede others' work.
• New technologies should be used justly and equitably, promoting social progress.

The Right to Rest

• Rest from work is a fundamental right (echoing God's rest).
• Sundays and holy days provide time for family, cultural, social, and religious life, promoting well-being. This includes religious observance, family time, and social engagement.

Rerum Novarum (1891)

• Encyclical by Pope Leo XIII addressing the challenges of the Industrial Revolution.
• Defended the dignity of workers, combating exploitation and ideological manipulation.

Key Principles of Rerum Novarum

• Dignity of Workers: Championed the inherent dignity of workers, linking it to property rights, cooperation, and worker rights.
• Worker Rights: Highlighted workers' rights to form associations, receive fair wages, and work in safe conditions.
• Employer Obligations: Outlined employers' responsibilities for just treatment and fair compensation of their workers.

Impact of Rerum Novarum

• Spurred the creation of worker organizations, unions, and cooperatives.
• Influenced labor legislation protecting workers, especially children and women.
• Led to improvements in wages, working conditions, and worker education.

Laborem Exercens (John Paul II)

• Built upon Rerum Novarum, emphasizing the personalistic aspect of work.
• Highlighted work's importance for human dignity and development in a globalized world.

Meaning and Challenges of Work

• Work is crucial for economic and personal development.
• Work presents challenges such as toil, suffering, and injustice.

Dignity of Work: Subjective and Objective Dimensions

• Objective Dimension: Focuses on resources, instruments, and technologies used in production.
• Subjective Dimension: Emphasizes the worker's inherent dignity and vocation.

Priority of Labor Over Capital

• Labor is the primary efficient cause in production.
• Labor and capital are complementary, requiring each other.
• A just relationship between labor and capital is essential.

Participation in Ownership and Management

• Workers have a right to participate in ownership, management, and profit-sharing.
• This participation acknowledges work's subjective character and ensures just distribution of labor's fruits.

Labor and Private Property

• Private property is subordinated to the universal destination of goods.
• Property use must serve the common good and not hinder others' work.
• New technologies should be used justly and equitably, fostering social progress.

The Right to Rest

• Rest from work is a fundamental right, mirroring God's rest.
• Sundays and holy days provide time for family, culture, social life, and religious observances, promoting well-being.