Labour Law in the Age of Populism: Towards Sustainable Democratic Engagement
26 Pages Posted: 24 Jul 2018
Date Written: July 24, 2018
Abstract
This paper examines the claim that we have passed from the ‘Age of Neoliberalism’ to the ‘Age of Populism’. It examines the concept of populism and it explores the linkages between populism and the regulation of personal work relations in the UK and Europe, arguing that precarious work relations have engendered precarious democracies. Following the work of the political theorist Jan-Werner Muller, it identifies antipluralism as the defining characteristic of populism. It sets out a vision for an anti-populist labour law in terms of ‘democratic citizenship at work’, and it connects this to Kahn-Freund’s historic work on the ‘pluralistic constitution’. This provides a basis for sustainable work relations and sustainable democratic institutions in the polity.
Keywords: populism, nationalism, Brexit, migration, labour rights
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