Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Labor and Democracy
- The Cambridge Handbook of Labor and Democracy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Labor and Democracy: Theory and Practice
- 1 A New Labor Law for Deep Democracy
- 2 Labor and Democracy
- 3 Labor’s Obstacles and Democracy’s Demise
- 4 Right-Wing Populism, Illiberal Democracy, Trade Unions, and Workers’ Rights
- Part II History, Politics, and Law
- Part III Labor, Diversity, and Democracy
- Part IV Country and Regional Perspectives
- Part V Labor and Democracy Sectoral Case Studies: Platform Workers, Higher Education, and the Care Industry
- Index
- References
3 - Labor’s Obstacles and Democracy’s Demise
from Part I - Labor and Democracy: Theory and Practice
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 January 2022
Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Labor and Democracy
- The Cambridge Handbook of Labor and Democracy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Labor and Democracy: Theory and Practice
- 1 A New Labor Law for Deep Democracy
- 2 Labor and Democracy
- 3 Labor’s Obstacles and Democracy’s Demise
- 4 Right-Wing Populism, Illiberal Democracy, Trade Unions, and Workers’ Rights
- Part II History, Politics, and Law
- Part III Labor, Diversity, and Democracy
- Part IV Country and Regional Perspectives
- Part V Labor and Democracy Sectoral Case Studies: Platform Workers, Higher Education, and the Care Industry
- Index
- References
Summary
Labor’s role in forging and sustaining democracies has long been recognized in international human rights law and social science literature, but union rights and density are declining around the globe, and unfavorable domestic law jurisprudence in many parts of the globe has undermined collective rights. This chapter explores the juxtaposition of labor’s exalted place in international human rights law with its subordinate position in domestic law. In international human rights instruments and jurisprudence, labor unions hold a special position, and freedom of association is the critical foundational right upon which other rights and interests are advanced. In social science literature labor unions have pro-democracy attributes. This chapterexplores whether the decline in union strength has created a political void that has been filled by more authoritarian tendencies.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Handbook of Labor and Democracy , pp. 49 - 65Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022
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