International Journal of Labour Research

Reflections on the new social contract

This paper describes the pressures imposed on people and the planet by climate change, global conflict and the complex issues of inequality generated by past economic models. On the labour front, technological development and increasing automation have profoundly changed the industrial relations model and generated new opportunities and significant challenges for millions of workers. The paper outlines the response presented by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and international human rights instruments and calls for a new social contract that preserves the fundamental values of modern democracy and an integrated vision of labour that incorporates a rights-based approach and global solidarity.