James Evan I.

Obnamia
11684917
Labor I
Atty. Quan
Laborem Exercens: Completing the Equation
As mentioned by Pope John Paul II, working is the source of dignity. It is
what makes man and woman human. It is the epitome of humanity as expected
from the creations of God. At first blush it seems to makes sense, and it adds a
sense of pride on our work, whatever nature it might be. However, as we dwell more
on these words of the Pontiff as well as we look on the realities around us, the same
statement starts to lose its sense and slowly becomes a perplexing one. Why does
work, which is basically the source of human dignity, is also the largest source of
inhumanity in all kinds of societies? How come the worst form of oppression and
abuse comes directly from the same source which should make humans complete
itself?
This is very question is very relevant until today. Even after decades had
passed since the publication is this encyclical, work is still viewed merely as a mode
of production. It has been alienated from its humanity. It has been commodified. It
has been a common notion, that the source of all problem in our workplace are the
greedy capitalists. However, I do not share the same view, or at least I do not put all
the blame to these giant corporations.
At the time of industrialization, people started to focus more on the by-
products of work instead on work itself. This is not propelled by mere greed of
capitalists but they also answered to the demand of the society for cheaper goods.
Everyone wants to make the most out of their income, thus the need for cheaper
products. Cheaper products means one can avail more goods with their limited
amount of money, thus companies strive to make the cheapest products possible.
Cheaper goods means cheaper labor and worse working conditions of our labor
force. Making cheaper products can be achieved in two ways: by reducing the wage
of the working, or by automation. Either way hurts the humanity and value of the
work done. We cannot direct all the blame to these corporations. Although they are
the direct perpetrators of this inhumane treatment of workers complained of, they
only do so to stay competitive in a market where the price matters the most. Thus
as consumers, we are part of this cycle of dehumanization of work.
It is disturbing when we realize that, as consumers, in order to make most of
what we earn, and to continue unconsciously turn a blind eye on how the labor
system actually works. If not for high profile cases concerning the likes of
NutriAsia, and Jollibee Food Corporation, we will never be aware of the persistent
problems and violations of the rights of the working force.
Although it appears that there are only two parties to a labor issue, the
laborer being against the employer, it should be noted that even as consumers, we
take part, indirectly, to the perpetration of this abuse.
We feed on the humanity of others. When we see cheap items, we really do
not question as how they were made. We never usually thought of the condition of
the workplace they were made in. As consumers, we only see the by-product of
someone else’s work, a product made by other’s sacrifice of humanity. As a result,
minority of us are able to continue being humans with the work we do by feed off
the humanity sacrificed by others.
It is important for us, the public, as consumer of these goods, to be aware of
our part in this cycle of violence. As consumers, we hold great power over these
giant corporations who rely on our buying power to stay alive. By being aware of
what we buy, we can compel the giants to improve their working force’s working
condition even at the expense of a higher price. We can vividly see this said power
at the recent call for boycott of NutriAsia products.
However, this boycott mentality is flawed in itself. There are two sides to it;
boycott as a sign of protest and boycott to bring down a corporation. In the current
case of NutriAsia, the distinction is greatly blurred. The public is ready to bring the
giant to its death. We should be reminded by this encyclical that capital cannot be
separated to labor in the same manner that labor cannot be separated to capital. If
things gets worse and NutriAsia really did go bankrupt, not only NutriAsia loses,
but also its laborers and office employees. In the end more people would suffer. Only
the pride of the public would be left.
A balance of interest not only between the workforce and the corporation, but
also with the interest of the public should be met if we would even want to start
improving our country’s labor standards.