Neoliberalism and precarious work in nursing in the COVID-19 pandemic: repercussions on mental health

Objective: to understand how the contradictions and tensions of neoliberal policy, materialized in precarious work, affect nursing workers’ mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: this is a study with a qualitative and descriptive approach, analyzed in the light of neoliberal economic policy. Data were collected through virtual means, with the participation of 719 nursing workers, from April to June 2020. To organize the data, the IRaMuTeQ® software and thematic analysis were used. Results: the reports revealed the lack of value of workers and the loss of social labor rights; the progressive nature of the neoliberal policy, its threats and repercussions on workers’ mental health; and recognition by female workers that political and class participation does not occur in isolation, but collectively. Conclusion: under the aegis of neoliberal policy, the COVID-19 pandemic brought an upsurge precarious work, influencing nursing workers’ subjectivity and mental health.

Victimizations and surviving of workplace violence against waitresses in southern Ethiopia

Women are obliged to take on vulnerable forms of employment that fail to protect their basic labor rights. Exposure to workplace violence is especially high for those women who work within the agriculture, the hotels, restaurants and catering, the transport as well as the manufacturing sectors. In this context, we explored workplace violence against women working as waitresses in various hotels, restaurants, cafeterias and grocery stores of Wolaita Sodo town, southern Ethiopia. Cross-sectional study was undertaken with descriptive and exploratory study designs. Qualitative data were collected by using in-depth interview method in which 16 waitresses were interviewed. Data were voice recorded, transcribed, and analyzed searching themes and patterns in the data. While we found that waitresses are highly exposed to workplace violence, the level of exposure to the violence varies across various circumstances, including working in large and small towns, the situation of the owners/supervisors, public’s insight of the position, waitresses’ ability to speak the local language, the role of the waitresses, customers’ behavior and the specific context in which waitresses work. Waitresses were generally exposed to all forms of violence including spitting, throwing objects, simple physical assault, touching on private parts, and intimidation, among which verbal abuse and emotional exploitations are found to be the most common. Furthermore, the results revealed that though waitresses rarely experienced violence from female customers, the most common perpetrators involved in the practice were males. Amid widespread exposure of waitresses to all forms of workplace violence, ignorance, mostly motivated by fear of losing one’s job, has been the common way waitresses respond to the violence. The study implies the vulnerability state of waitresses partly due to lack of adequate awareness regarding the rights and obligations expected of an employee when working in such organizations. This is again exacerbated by the lack of formal employment procedures in such organizations. Therefore, awareness creation and supervisory activities are expected from the media, workers’ and social security office of the government, police and other concerned bodies.

Social Rights and the Turkish Constitutional Court

Through a brief examination of the Turkish experience, this article endeavors to illuminate the debate on the role of constitutional courts in interpreting social rights. The Turkish Constitutional Court has in many cases rejected applications for the annulment of legislation related to social rights, on the grounds that it is within the legislature’s discretion to determine public policy priorities based on economic resources and economic stability. This article suggests the Turkish Constitutional Court has narrowly interpreted constitutionally recognized social rights within the boundaries of the Turkish Constitution, with the notable exception of labor rights in individual applications.

The Concept of "Women's Rights" and Constitutional Freedom of Labor: Terminology Clarifications and Implementation Problems

The publication is aimed at defining the essence of the concept of "women's rights". The article shows that the concept of “women's rights” is widely used in the system of normative legal acts in Russia. The domestic legislator, resolutely opposing gender asymmetry, understands the rights of women as a system of integral and inalienable rights, freedoms and obligations for every woman, girl, adolescent girl, regardless of her age, citizenship, race, ethnic or religious affiliation. Using hermeneutic tools, an attempt is made to show the content and problems of the implementation of the labor rights of females. The article emphasizes that horizontal segregation develops under the influence of many factors due to the mentality and preference of various types of activities for men and women. Ultimately, women in general end up with lower income jobs. The authors found that the problems in Russia are the separation of professions into "male" and "female", which entails different wages; the feminization of poverty and unemployment; horizontal professional mobility for women. The increasing number of appeals associated with the violation of the socio-economic rights of women and their making the most of their labor potential become the subject of justice, in particular of constitutional justice in the Russian Federation.

The Rights of Workers, Migrant Workers and Trade Unions in the Light of the European Convention on Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights (the Court, the ECHR) has made a significantcontribution to the protection of social rights in general and labor rights in particular. The articlefocuses on four specific areas that demonstrate the richness of case-law in this area. First of all, theauthor focuses on individual issues related to the general rights of workers, drawing attention to issuesof unfair dismissal, the right to respect for private and family life, freedom of religion and freedomof expression. Secondly, the author dwells on the protection of the rights of migrant workers underthe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Third, the articleexamines trade union rights in the light of freedom of association. Finally, reflecting the economiclandscape of the past decade, case-law is provided to demonstrate how austerity measures can affecthuman rights and how the Court has responded to this problematic issue.Social rights, including labor rights, have received many advantages from the fact that they wereconsidered in the case-law of the Court, since its practice clarified the boundaries and limited thestate’s unlimited discretion in the management of these rights. At the same time, a certain trend hasformed. If at first the protection of workers’ rights and freedoms sharply increased, which is confirmedby some textbook cases of the ECHR, now it is impossible not to notice a regressive trend that isassociated with labor legislation, expands the discretion of governments and significantly limits theeffectiveness of the Court when considering labor rights. However, this regressive trend should notbe regarded as irreversible. The article highlights how meaningful consideration of soft law principlesallows the Court to take a progressive position that promotes labor rights and how it can continueto help protect workers’ rights.

PREVALENCE OF INJURIES AMONG WASTE PICKERS. A CASE STUDY IN NIGERIA

Waste picking might provide, in low-income countries, a livelihood for many individuals representing an important survival strategy. However, during their activities, waste pickers are at risk of encountering harmful waste, which could cause injuries and other infectious diseases. This paper investigates the occurrences of injury among waste pickers and the methods they use to treat the injuries in Bauchi city, Northeastern Nigeria. A total of 322 waste pickers were randomly selected across 80 waste pickers’ middlemen shops. Data was obtained through questionnaire and interview. Based on the data presented, 1474 frequencies of injuries were reported among 247 waste pickers. Age, education and working experience are significant parameters to the prevalence of injuries among waste pickers, and the incidence of injuries increased with the decrease in those parameters. The study shows that most of the waste pickers experienced injuries, most of whom do not attend clinic when injury occurs; instead, they used salt, ash, sand, hydraulic, kerosene, battery acid, among others, to treat their wounds. Cuts and pierces are good entry points for bacteria and viruses, which can eventually spread to the general public infectious diseases, such as Hepatitis, Cholera and Lassa fever. Provision of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), a labor rights policy, immunization and the launch of an awareness campaign are among the recommendations made by this study.

Supervision and control over observance of labour legislation by state labour service of Ukraine

The purpose of the article is to investigate the role of state supervision and control over compliance with labour legislation in ensuring decent work. Methodology. The research is based on the analysis and generalization of the available practical, scientific and theoretical material and the formation of relevant conclusions. The following methods of scientific cognition were used in the research: logical-semantic, system-structural, terminological, system-functional, structural-logical, normative-dogmatic, method of generalization. Results. It is established that the effectiveness of supervision and control over compliance with labour legislation is ensured by many factors: regularity, the right choice of goal, the actual elimination of violations, the presence of clear legal regulations for control and supervision. Scientific novelty. It is established that supervision and control over observance of labour legislation is an important and necessary form of protection of labour rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of employees. With the help of this form of protection of labour rights and legitimate interests of employees, the following tasks are solved: ensuring strict implementation of regulations in the field of labour; achieving the quality of implementation of decisions; timely taking measures to eliminate identified violations; identifying positive experiences and putting them into practice. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using materials in law enforcement activities - to improve the practice of applying current legislation in the field of labor rights; educational process - in the teaching of disciplines: "Labour Law of Ukraine", "Employment Protection", "Labour Rights Protection in European Union Countries".