Goals of Workers’ Justice vs Environmental Justice Essay

Introduction

The goals of workers’ justice and environmental justice are not in conflict; instead, there is a basis for these two to work together. Workers’ justice is characterized by several goals, which include dignity for workers, security and respect for workers, provision of safe working conditions, implementation of laws against those who violate workers’ rights, and the right for workers to bargain and organize without fearing retaliation (International Labor Organization, 2020). All these goals work hand in hand with environmental justice to benefit workers. In future, all these factors would be influenced by the technological development (West, 2019). The aim of the paper is to analyze how EPA, an environmental justice organization, works towards protecting people equally from any health-related or environmental hazard that may result from the industrial wastes.

Discussion

The dignity of labor works with a philosophy that states that all jobs have to be respected equally and no occupation should be considered superior to the other, for this might cause discrimination. Environmental justice aims at providing peaceful and healthy working conditions for workers, which can be promoted by promoting equality at the Workplace since the workers will not have grudges; hence the two have to work together (Wilkinson & Barry, 2020). Workplace dignity model is characterized by respect and trust, equality amongst workers, fair treatment and freedom of expression (Gomberg-Muñoz, 2020). Once workers are given the freedom to express themselves, they are highly likely to speak out on what may cause ergonomic hazards to them (Press, 2022). Dignity can be promoted in the Workplace by acknowledging everyone’s dignity, listening to and encouraging others’ opinions, among others

Another goal of workers’ justice which is known to work hand in hand with environmental justice to favor and protect workers, is security and respect for workers. Work security involves having good working conditions. Besides, it is essential to implement all the possible working improvements considering future technological developments (Benanav, 2020). This correlates with environmental justice in that once good working conditions are provided, this improves the worker’s safety, protecting the workers from health hazards such as biological hazards and chemical or physical hazards. Biological hazards include respiratory infections from the emissions, chemical spillage causes chemical hazards, and physical hazards include spillage, which causes injuries due to slippery floors. These hazards, related to environmental justice, are controlled by worker’s justice goals in that security in the Workplace provides insurance and compensation that are used to cover the injuries caused by the hazards. Other workplace security importances include decreased liabilities and social security expenses expected to be paid compensation.

When one joins a workplace, the first aspect that one looks at is security. A secure working environment is supposed to be provided by the firm or the company. Security can be provided by installing security systems such as CCTVs known to be good for monitoring (“How Digitalization…,” 2022). This service monitors the incomings and outgoings in the Workplace, providing security and maintaining a secure working environment. Environmental justice advocates for safe homes and working conditions (Anna, 2020). at the Workplace, workers’ justice advocates for security, which can be provided by using biometric scanners at the Workplace, which monitor those who enter and leave the buildings providing security to workers. Secure workplaces it’s expected to have a lower employee turnover rate since the environment is safe for work. Employees only back out of work if the aspect of security is not valued and emphasized. Again, a secure workplace improves the standards of the working environment; hence a neat and clean environment is maintained.

Another goal of workers’ justice has been to have and provide a safe working conditions. This goal prioritizes workers as it aims at protecting the workers from injuries (Fernando, 2019). These injuries result from ignorance in promoting environmental justice, which results in hazards. As discussed earlier, physical or ergonomic hazards can be due to wet and slippery floors. Workers may get injured due to these hazards, which can be prevented by providing safe working conditions (Joyce, 2020). These safe conditions promote environmental justice by providing a safe working environment for the workers. Signs of a positive work environment include having positive values, commitment to excellence, and good communication in the Workplace, among others. A safe working environment protects workers from injuries and reduces illness costs, reduces workers turnover and absenteeism, promotes productivity in the Workplace, and improves patient morale.

Workers’ rights can be violated in many ways. These ways include extending working hours for the workers, making low wages, poor working conditions, and discrimination at the Workplace. Workers’ justice advocates for implementing stronger laws for those who violate the workers’ rights. This right is a combination of legal and human rights related to labor. All these rights works aim at providing environmental justice to workers by providing safety in the place. Labor rights have been in the front to advocate for improved working conditions in the US, especially during the progressive era. The progressive era had workplace reforms that gained a boost from publicity. In the United States, several labor advocates criticize poor working conditions by referring to them as sweatshops and sources of health hazards (US Legal, n.d.). Such hazards affect the workers in the working environment, and hence, labor advocates support the EPA to fight for environmental justice.

Conclusion

From the discussion above, it can be concluded that the goals of worker justice and Environmental justice have no conflict but instead work hand in hand to protect its workers’ members. Workers’ justice goals such as dignity, security, respect, safe working conditions, and stronger laws against those who violate labor rights aim to improve the working environment for workers by protecting them from any health hazards, promoting justice, and transport. From this, it’s evident that the two work hand in hand.

References

Anna, G. (2020). Environmental justice. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

Benanav, A. (2020). Automation and the future of work. Verso Books.

Fernando, T. S. (2019). Workers before the court: Conflicts and labor justice in the context of the 1964 coup d’Etat in Brazil. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.

International Labor Organization. (2020). ITUC Global Rights Index 2020 shows workers’ rights violations occur too often in central and Eastern Europe. International Labour Rights: ITUC Global Rights Index 2020 shows workers’ rights violations occur too often in Central and Eastern Europe. Web.

Press, A. (2022). EPA probes environmental justice in Louisiana Projects. There. Web.

United States Department of Labor. What are workers’ rights? (n.d.). Web.

US Legal, I. (n.d.). Find a legal form in minutes. Cooperative Associations – An USLegal Topic Area. Web.

West, D. (2019). The future of work: Robots, AI, and automation. Brookings Institution Press.

Wilkinson, A., & Barry, M. (2020). The future of work and employment. Edward Elgar Publishing.