pope on labour day

To commemorate the feast day of St Joseph the Worker, Pope Francis called on all politicians around the world to respect and protect the dignity of workers.

Pope’s Tweet

The Catholic Church’s official broadcasting station Vatican Radio has emphasised the pope’s firm position on employment in an article released yesterday. The article gave a rundown of the various speeches the pope has made on employment in the past months.

In March this year, the pope addressed Italian steelworkers, saying ‘The primary value of employment is the good of the human person. [It has] a purpose that affects man and his dignity.

‘Anyone who is unemployed or underemployed risks becoming a victim of social exclusion.’

In November, the pope said that people should follow a commandment of ‘”thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality’ because ‘Such an economy kills.’ He also lashed out on those who praise the ‘kickback god: God has commanded us to bring bread home through our own honest work!

‘Dignity comes from dignified work, from honest work, from daily work.’

Pope Francis also condemned ‘slave labour’ back in May 2013 and slammed trafficking because it demeaned human dignity: ‘How many people worldwide are victims of… work that enslaves. Work should offer a service to people so they may have dignity.’ He addressed politicians specifically to initiate this thrust in employment.