[GA - Passed] Repeal "Individual Working Freedoms"

Status
Not open for further replies.

Magecastle

Wolf of the North
Pronouns
He/Him
TNP Nation
Magecastle Embassy Building A5
Discord
green_canine
ga.jpg

Repeal "Individual Working Freedoms"
Category: Repeal | GA #302
Proposed by: Magecastle Embassy Building A5 | Onsite Topic
Replacement: None​


Celebrating its efforts to defend the rights of employees through resolutions including "Restrictions on Child Labor", "Workplace Safety Standards Act", and "Protecting the Rights of Labour Unions";

Believing that the resolution "Individual Working Freedoms" stands in the way of protection of workers, as it effectively does nothing except restrict the ability of the World Assembly to protect the rights of employees;

Noting that one of the only clauses in the resolution which is actually binding on member nations, lifting all "working time regulations that serve only to reduce individual liberty and that do not serve any other purpose", has an extraordinarily vague standard which does nothing to prevent member nations from rationalising regulations as having some purpose besides "reduc[ing] individual liberty";

Perturbed that Section 3 bars the World Assembly from interfering in the decisions of member nations regarding "whether to set specific regulations on workweeks and working time in the general public interest", a broad scope which does not only apply to a mandate for "one standard working week", but also prohibition of practices such as coercing employees to accept overly long shifts to the point of being psychologically or physically burdensome, on threat of starvation or unemployment;

Recognising that although the World Assembly has legislated to protect labour unions, they still may often have insufficient bargaining power to prevent such exploitation of labour, as employers frequently maintain more power over employees, and by extension unions they form, than vice versa;

Convinced that the rationale of the resolution for doing this, ie that "any attempt to impose a universal manacle of working time restriction [is] a grossly unfair abrogation of individual freedoms", is insufficient, as it is in fact beneficial for individual freedoms for workers not to be coerced into shifts of a physically or psychologically detrimental length;

Finding that as the resolution has no substantive effect besides restricting the ability of the World Assembly to protect workers against exploitation, its repeal will not affect the rights of workers, except that the World Assembly will have a greater authority to legislate in favour of workers in the future;

The World Assembly repeals GA #302, "Individual Working Freedoms".
Note: Only votes from TNP WA nations and NPA personnel will be counted. If you do not meet these requirements, please add (non-WA) or something of that effect to your vote.
Voting Instructions:
  • Vote For if you want the Delegate to vote For the resolution.
  • Vote Against if you want the Delegate to vote Against the resolution.
  • Vote Abstain if you want the Delegate to abstain from voting on this resolution.
  • Vote Present if you are personally abstaining from this vote.
Detailed opinions with your vote are appreciated and encouraged!


ForAgainstAbstainPresent
10100
 
Last edited:
Overview

This proposal seeks to repeal ‘Individual Working Freedoms’. The proposal starts by celebrating the WA’s work to protect the rights of workers, then citing that the proposal is lacking in legally-binding clauses, with one of the only binding clauses being ‘lifting all working time regulations, which serve only to reduce individual liberty’. The proposal points out that Section 3, which prohibits the WA from interfering in the working time of employees may allow employers from setting overly long shifts that could cause damage to the employee’s health; it also mentions that labour unions may not have sufficient bargaining power to protect employees from these long shifts. The proposal then finishes by suggesting that the resolution does not have any effect on workers other than to potentially restrict their rights.

Recommendation

Individual Working Freedoms is a resolution that has few legally-binding clauses, and its biggest effect is giving employers the right to set unfair and overly long shifts. What IWF can end up doing, i.e overly long shifts, does not fit with the WA’s other work to protect the rights of workers. Whilst the proposal states that working time restrictions serve only to reduce individual liberty, these restrictions are in fact beneficial to workers as they prevent excessive working times. Repealing this vague and mostly pointless resolution will have no effect on workers’ rights other than removing the fear of having overly long shifts placed upon them.

For the above reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For the GA proposal at vote, "Repeal ‘Individual Working Freedoms’".
 
Last edited:
Against, as I am broadly conservative (small 'c') in economic policy and oppose the statement about labour unions having "insufficient bargaining power".
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top