Joe Brusky/Flickr. (CC 2.0 by-nc)
The notion of decent work is, to me, a curious one. It rests on the assumption that there is a level of exploitation which is ‘fair’. Thus a certain portion of a worker’s labour power can legitimately be appropriated by her employer, but if they take any more it becomes exploitative, and subject to labels such as ‘trafficking’ or ‘forced labour’. Many an argument can be had over where the line of ‘decency’ can be drawn, and no doubt these will once again be rehearsed at the ongoing ILC.
But perhaps it is not necessary to decide just how bad things get in a working relationship before supra-governmental action is justified. Perhaps dealing with a more fundamental element of the work/wage bargain might help.
