"One of the social rights and duties most under
threat today is the right to work. The reason for this
is that labour and the rightful recognition of workers’
juridical status are increasingly undervalued,
since economic development is thought to depend
principally on completely free markets. Labour is
thus regarded as a variable dependent on economic
and financial mechanisms. In this regard, I would
reaffirm that human dignity and economic, social
and political factors, demand that we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment
for everyone. If this ambitious goal is to be realized, one prior condition is a fresh outlook
on work, based on ethical principles and spiritual values that reinforce the
notion of work as a fundamental good for the individual, for the family and for
society. Corresponding to this good are a duty and a right that demand
courageous new policies of universal employment."
