The Dignity of Human Work

Economic Justice definitely covers the issue of

human work. Work is a fundamental dimension
of life. In fact, the ability to work is one of the
characteristics that distinguish us from the rest
of the creation. Every time we engage in work ,
we make use of our intellect and will and
develop our potential. In work, we open
ourselves to communication and collaborative
effort with others toward a common goal.
 (“SEE”) Context
Every day millions of people go to
work and take on the different
tasks.
Doctor and nurses
Lawyers and teachers
Traffic aides and market vendors
Actors and entertainers
 Types of Work
1. Blue-collar workers
– who use mostly their muscle.
2. White-collar Workers
– who use mostly their brain.

All in all, they engage in work.

 What is work?

Work is use usually

understood as an activity
done for pay. We refer to
work in terms of career,
jobs, or possession.
 We, Filipino, see work as
- An aspect of our life that serves not just
as a source of livelihood, but also a symbol
of social status and, in a sense, self worth.
For, we tend to attach our value as a
person to the kind of work we do so that
when we have done something good for
our community we feel so proud of
ourselves.
 Sad Reality
Many Filipinos believe that intellectual work is
more important than the manual work.
 Tendency
Since, they cannot support their needs and the
needs of their families by the measly salaries
they get. The blue-collar workers tend to look
down their work and even on themselves.
Magsasaka lang ako.
Tindera lang ako.
Mananahi lang ako
Barbero lang ako.
 In our early school days
We were asked what do we want to be when we
grow up, and most of our answer,
I want to be a lawyer.
I want to be a doctor.
As if we want to be “professional” because we
believe these jobs assure us a better future.
 But this is not necessarily the case
ABROAD
Many of our kababayan in other countries are
not particular about what kind of work they do,
menial or intellectual, because they are paid
well there.
 The Irony
Majority of Filipino students prefer to take up
commerce, business, liberal arts --- courses that
they hope it will help them land to white-collar
jobs or any job that is believed to be reserved
for the well-educated and intellectually inclined.
Only few take up agriculture, vocational courses,
mechanical engineering, or any courses that has
something to do with hands because these
courses do not usually promise high paying jobs.
 Although monetary compensation is
important,
What perhaps is more important is the effect of
work on us and our community. There are
students today who are wise enough to decide
on their college courses not on the basis of what
can lead them to lucrative jobs, but rather, on
what can really make them use their talents and
serve the community at the same time. There is
more to work than mere salaries and personal
economic benefits.
 UNDERSTANDING HUMAN WORK
Who Works?
- Work is primarily an act of human
beings. In work, intelligence, creativity,
and free choice are involved. These
characteristics of work point to the
fact that only human persons work.
 Mutrabaho ba ang mga Animal?
Let us take a particular human action that
animals also seem to do, and see for ourselves
whether work properly refers to animals, too.
EATING TIME
When a dog is hungry, it follows its instinct to
look for food.
The Dog cannot make food on its own.
But, when human beings are hungry , we do not
automatically give in to this need and just go
and devour whatever food we see.
 Beyond Hungriness and Eating
There are many things we can do. In fact, we can
even decide to fast if we want to, even if we are
hungry. And if we decide to eat, we can think
first of the food we want to eat, how to get that
food, where and when, and probably with
whom we would like to eat.
 In other words
All this thinking is freely exercised by us
and makes us unpredictable, unlike dog
which only acts according to its instincts.
We think, make decisions, and execute
those decisions in free actions. All these
free actions make up what we call “work”.
Animals, therefore, do not work in the
strict sense of the word.
 In addition
Compared to other living creatures, like flowers,
our free choices and decisions become part of
us and help us gradually develop into new
“persons.” This means we do not automatically
and simply grow by unfolding ourselves, like
flowers. Rather, we grow up and mature through
the free choices we make. Thus, WE WORK.
 What is work?
Laborem Exercens defines work as a sustained
human activity done for a purpose. Work can be
manual or intellectual, paid or not paid, light or
heavy. It includes ordinary, everyday routine
work – from homemaking in the family , to the
production of goods in manufacturing
companies, running of the government. Work
refers not only to paid jobs but to all human
activities.
 Therefore, work is a duty.
If we are capable of working, we must work.

St. Paul admonishes those who are capable of

working, “If anyone was unwilling to work,
neither should that one eat”.
It is morally wrong
for one who is able
to work to refuse
to do so.
Through work we can,
1. Earn living and provide for our material
needs. This is especially true to the heads of
the family.
2. Express and develop ourselves as a unique
creatures of God. It is through work that
we make use of our talents, energies,
resources, and time, and thereby achieve a
sense of fulfilment.
3.Serve our community. We can
contribute to the well-being of our
community by being a student,
parent, teacher, doctor, and so on.
 Dimension of Human Work
By definition, human work has two aspects, the
objective and subjective.
 Objective Dimension
- It refers to the output or product of human
effort; the goods produces ( machine, tools,
program, technology) or the services rendered
(studying, teaching, curing, experiencing,
dancing, cooking, broadcasting, collecting
garbage, etc. ). All these products of human
minds and hands are expressed in various fields
of work, such as agriculture/fishing , industry,
technology, and even structures in society.
 Agriculture and Fishing
Here, human persons literally deal with
the earth not only by the very act of
planting, tilling the fields and harvesting,
but also domesticating animals, rearing
them and obtaining form them the food
and clothing people need, and by being
able to extract the various goods of the
natural resources of the earth and the sea.
 Technology
This pertains to the whole set of instruments
and techniques created and used by people in
their work, especially in the field of production.
Technology may refer to machines or methods
of combining the available resources that can
help facilitate, perfect, accelerate, or augment
work, resulting in the increase in the quantity of
the products of work. In some cases, technology
is what makes work possible, e.g. Iphone 6 s.
 Industry
Industry resulted from the higher and
more sophisticated products of work. As
workers enhance their creativity and
perfect their skill, they are able to produce
goods at high speed, increased volume,
and improved quality. Usually this is made
possible by the machines and technology
that humans themselves have created.
Social structures, System of Services,
and Civilization
The whole condition of social order is
considered as one of the products of
human work. The structures,
institutions, as well as culture of
society are formed from the
collaboration of various kinds of work.
 Subjective Dimension
According to St. John Paul II, “the greatness of
work is inside man.” By this meant the
subjective dimension of work – the workers as
the subject or agent of their work.
 The Church tells
The primary basis for determining the value of
human work is not the kind of work being done
(objective), but the fact that the agents who are
working are human persons – endowed with
gifts, capable of choosing, and freely acting on
their own self-actualization and development of
the world. This is what really makes work
important.
 Work is important because workers
are human beings.
Let us look the subjectivity of human work.
1. Human persons are the purpose. “Work is
‘for man’ and not man ‘for work’… It is always
man who is the purpose of the work, whatever
work it is, that is done by man”. (Laborem
Exercens6).
 A. Work supports human dignity.
Everything we do influences the kind of person
we gradually become. Our work can either make
us generous or selfish, faithful or scheming,
cooperative or hostile, responsible of arbitrary.
 Work is an occasion to express and
increase human dignity.
It is through work that we get to meet our needs
and express our freedom, creativity, and worth
as human persons.
 If the case
The moment we feel, however, that we exist
only to work - Isang kahig isang tuka – our
dignity is violated.
Eg. When we work exploits our humanity, when
we are treated like robots without human life
and hired simply to produce, our dignity is
violated.
 B. Work helps build relationship and
promotes responsibility.
Strictly speaking, we cannot accomplish a task
all by ourselves. We either work with others or
we work using other’s work. By working we
become responsible human persons and open
to communication with other people.
 2. Work is for the common good.
Work enhances not just the individual but also
the whole human family. Every piece of work
done by any person is part of the whole daily
operation of the world. No matter how small
that part is, if it supports human dignity, it
serves the common good. All good work
contributes to the preservation of life and
building up of society.
 3. Labor is more important than
capital.
In the case of hired laborers, particularly blue-
collar workers, the value of their work must be
seen in the way they are treated.
Machines vs Man
 Work must be given more importance than
machines, technologies, or anything considered
as capital, and must treated accordingly.
However, because of the crucial role of
technology in the production of goods,
capitalists find it more practical and reasonable
to use machines than to hire human workers. It
would appear, therefore, that capital is more
important than the workers.
 Two Dimension of Work
1. The Objective
– It refers to a kind of activity that humans
do and to the things they produce.
2. The Subjective
– It pertains to worker. This aspect primary
basis of the importance of human work.
 Rights and Duties of Workers
The Value of work may be difficult for many
to understand, especially in a materialistic
society where human worth is measured in
terms of one’s property or kind of work. The
common victims of this culture are the
unskilled workers, all to often they are
subjected to unfair labor practices and
human exploitation.
They have cope with poor working conditions,
unjust wages, union busting, lack of health
benefits, lay-offs and the like, because they are
considered simply as a “force” ( work force ) or
means of production. Workers are easily
dismissed. Once no longer productive, they are
replaced by machines.
And what usually happens when workers’
rights are violated? The history of the moderns
world can attest to the fact that violations of
workers’ rights are the most frequent cause of
social inequality and social unrest.
 According to St. John Paul II
He placed the issue of human work at the center
of all social problems. He said “Human work is
key, probably the essential key, to the social
question, if we try to see that question really
from the point of view of man’s good” (Laborem
Exercens). It is in this context that the church
unceasingly emphasizes that the fundamental
importance of human work lies in the workers,
who have dignity and rights.
1. Employment
Since work is a duty, there should
be suitable employment for all who want to
earn a living and are capable of working.
Even the physically handicapped are entitled
to work according to their capabilities.
Unemployment harms the dignity and
threatens the survival of the people.
2. Work Environment
The environment that is hazardous to
health and moral integrity is a of the workers is a
violation of their dignity. Adequate safety
measures and equipment must be provided to
protect them from any danger and harm
because it is their right to work in a place
where they can be creative and productive. In
addition, the workers have the right to health
care, especially in case of work –related
accident.
 3. Work Hours
Workers have the right to legitimate rest. God
does not intend that we work nonstop, like
machines. Overwork can lead to burn-out and
sickness. Rest does not only gives us times
rejuvenate in order to prepare us for the next
day’s work but also gives us time to be with the
family and worship God in thanksgiving for the
blessings He has given us. This is one concrete
manifestation that we are treated as whole
persons.
 Right to a Just Share in the
Fruits of the Work
(Laborem Exercens 19)

1. Right to a just wage.

The right to a just wage is a crucial issue in
the primary principle of the whole ethical and social
order – the principle of the common use of goods.
Wages give workers access to the goods needed for
a descent life. Because of this, the justice of socio-
economic system is in great part evaluated in terms
of the workers’ remuneration.
 Workers have the right to receive a
just family wage – a wage enough to:

a. Support a family, since they have the natural

right to raise a family and enjoy life.
b. Attend to their other needs, not just bodily
needs. Payment for work must enable worker
to furnish themselves with the means to
develop their social, cultural, and spiritual
life.
c. Have a certain degree of security. Workers
must be assured to a certain extent, of resources
or benefits in times emergency, sickness, or
disability.
d. Spare mothers and children from working.
Salaries must be high enough so that mothers
will not be forced to work and will have more
freedom to choose to stay with their children.
2. Social benefits.
Workers must also obtain a just
share of the fruits of their work
through other benefits, like health care,
pension, and accident insurance.
 Right to Organize
(Laborem Exercens 20)

1. Right to form associations.

Workers have the right to form and join
organization, usually labor or trade unions. In
keeping with the virtue of solidarity and principle of
subsidiarity, trade unions can be potent means for
workers to handle their problems. The labor
unions stand between the individual and their
employers or between workers to workers and the
state in order to defend and promote the workers’
rights and interests within the framework of justice
and common good.
When the injustice of the industrial Revolution arose, the
potential for solidarity among workers was first
expressed in unions that became indispensable agents
for social change. The goals of unions are to:

a. Promote and protect the worker’s right and duties;

b. Serve as a venue for workers to express their
work-related concerns; and
c. Contribute to the well- being of the community.
2. Right to strike and work stoppage
Corollary to the right of workers to form
associations is the right to strike without being
subjected to personal sanction for taking part
in the strike or work stoppage. The right is
recognized by the Catholic Church as a
legitimate means to pursue other rights – fair
wages, adequate rest, good working
conditions, etc. But like any other right , the
right to strike should not be abused. The
Church teaches that unions should not
demand anything that threaten the common
good.
 According to St, John Paul II
He reminded us that one goal of unions is for
workers “not simply to have more, but to be
more.”
 Spirituality of Human Work
As a student, you know all too what it means
to work. With the rigorous demands of your
studies, you discover that work means toil.
Work is hard. To be student is not easy.
Nevertheless, work becomes meaningful when
we viewed in a deeper way. Because our work
bears the stamp of our humanity, it is definitely
not an ordinary activity.
 As Christians, we see our work as a
way to participate in
God’s creative work.
1. Participation in God’s creative work.
We participate in God’s creative act in two ways:
First, we are beneficiaries of infinite
God’s infinite providence. He provides for our
needs by creating us with the obligation to
work. He really intended us to work so that we
can avail ourselves of and enjoy the resources of
the world which He Himself prepared for us.
 Second, we participate in God’s
creative work by the way we live. Every good
thing that we do, every good word that we
utter manifest God’s goodness. Our good work
helps us continue God’s work in the here and
now. God told us, “Be fertile and multiply, fill
the earth and subdue it”(gen. 1:28). This is a
mandate from God If our work is good,
whether it is ordinary and extra ordinary, big or
small, it is part of God’s on going creative work.
God’s creative power is reflected in or
work, w/c is both unique and universal
in character.
a. Unique
Our work shows our uniqueness and
individuality. Somehow, it is an extension
of ourselves because we put into our
work our talents, strengths, and interests
as unique individuals.
b. Universal.
Like the magnificent creative work of God,
our work has far-reaching scope. Our work is
connected to other’s works. Especially today,
with the development in technologies,
communications, and human relations, work has
become broader in meaning and context. It
becomes a giant process of subduing the earth in
w/c every one of us gets to participate and
collaborate in the work of others, embracing all
human beings, every generation, and every
phase of economic and cultural development.
2. Collaboration with Christ’s redemptive mission.
The dignity of human labor lies not only in
God’s command to human persons to work, but
also in God’s choice to work as a man in the person
of his Son, Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, we learn that
Jesus was a man of work. He had such deep
respect of human work (i.e. shepherd, fisherman,
laborer, farmer, and so on.); He Himself became a
laborer. He worked as a carpenter. He mingled with
ordinary workers.
His exposure to work enabled Him to:
1. Teach about the Kingdom of God using work-
related concerns that were familiar to His
listeners.
2. Understand the suffering of the people.
3. Lift the people from the burden of their
meaningless life.
4. Invite His apostle in the middle of their work,
5. And call everyone to be holy in the context of
their work.
3. Cooperation with the work of the Holy
Spirit.
Prayer can help us become sensitive to
the urging of the Holy Spirit. As St. Benedict
would say, “Ora et Labora” (prayer and work).
In other words, prayer and work go together. In
prayer, we connect ourselves to God. Through
prayer, we can offer our work as a instrument
of the Holy spirit in renewing the face of the
earth.