Working rights and COVID-19

May Day has run directly into the crosshairs of COVID-19 – not only because the virus stopped the customary rallies to mark this day, but also because it threatens to upend the livelihoods of millions and with it countless lives. 

Workers’ rights were hard won and often came with the heavy price of violence as thousands of workers fought to have even the simplest rights such as an eight-hour work day, five-day work week and a minimum wage. 

Nowadays, especially as the world moves to a “gig economy” and informal work, these worker rights are often neglected or seen to be outdated. The concept of unions, collective bargaining, transparency and fiduciary responsibility of owners towards their employees is seen more as an individual contract between the employer and the employee. However, COVID-19 may well push workers to re-embrace these time-hallowed concepts. 

As salary cuts and layoffs become the new norm, there is also the need to push for greater transparency within work places. The COVID-19 impact will not be felt the same by everyone, as with other things the issues of privilege, class and gender will also influence situations created by reactions to the virus. 

In many companies, directors, general managers, CEOs, and chairmen have agreed to large pay cuts, but their reality will still be significantly different to a basic wage earner. The top ranks of companies have earned better for years and have reserves of savings that lower rung workers will lack, not to mention contacts, a better standard of life, more opportunity and even a better chance to have their earnings restored when the good times return. Therefore it is laughable to think that higher pay cuts will create a level playing field. It will simply keep the existing inequalities intact, unless the workers decide to collaborate and work for a more equitable system. 

In this, transparency and accountability are key. Not all companies are created equal, nor do they have the same checks and balances in place to counter and correct bad management decisions. Companies that were struggling due to short-sighted management before COVID-19 will have a harder time convincing their workers that pay cuts and layoffs are justified. Many have been the questions raised of what has happened to the profits earned by companies during the good years and why those funds cannot be put to use to assist loyal workers now.

These are discussions that should take place across companies, industries and employees. It is time for workers to test the strength of their company’s leadership. This is by no means an unreasonable concept as change usually necessitates courage. When employees are literally putting their lives on the line to come to work, it is only right the narrative around their work also change. 

One of the positives about the COVID-19 crisis was that it forced companies to be more nimble and adapt technology to allow workers to work from home. This should now be expanded so that more segments of the workforce can use these developments to safeguard themselves and by extension their families and colleagues. COVID-19 has brought change, it is now up to the workers to decide if it is a new dawn for their rights.