FT 14-03: Workers Solidarity Act (Passed, awaiting referendum)

[Roblox]

AN ACT
to guarantee the rights of the laboring classes

Section 1 (Title)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Workers' Solidarity Act."

Section 2 (Amendment to the Frémont Free Speech Act)
i. As it appears in the Frémont Free Speech Act, "other organization or association" is defined to exclude public or private sector labor unions.

Section 3 (Labor Rights Amendment)
i. The following is appended to the Bill of Rights as the next ordinal section thereof.
Quote
A full-enfranchised proletariat being necessary for the prosperity of a free people, the right of the working people to organize and bargain collectively shall not be infringed.

Section 4 (Implementation)
i. §3 shall take effect upon its ratification by the people, according to the procedure prescribed by the constitution of the Commonwealth by Article VI§2 thereof.
ii. All other provisions of this Act shall take effect immediately.

Sponsor: Harry S Truman

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

My thanks to the speaker for bringing this so swiftly to the floor. The proposal contained herein comes in two parts, the first being an amendment to existing statute, the second an expansion of the Bill of Rights found in our regional constitution. In brief: §2 amends the Frémont Free Speech Act to repeal the back-door right-to-work-for-less law passed earlier this year; §3 is a constitutional amendment to recognize the right of workers to organize, introduced in tandem with a proposal to add similar language to the federal constitution. Together, these two measures will help to correct the imbalance between labor and capital and ensure that working people are on equal footing with employers in negotiations that effect both.

I eagerly anticipate a lively debate within this chamber, as well as the flood of bad-faith analysis and personal invectives from foreign agitators who will surely descend on this thread very soon!

[AustralianSwingVoter]

I'd rather we downplay the wording in the constitutional amendment from something so communist to a broader definition that includes all persons. White collar workers should have as much of a right to representation and indeed given the decline of industrial labour they really should be included.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I'd rather we downplay the wording in the constitutional amendment from something so communist to a broader definition that includes all persons. White collar workers should have as much of a right to representation and indeed given the decline of industrial labour they really should be included.

I could get behind that. Would "labor force" be better?

[PSOL]

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the wording. In fact, changing it would do nothing except keep us from passing this sooner. I’d say it’s fine as it is.

[fhtagn]

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the wording. In fact, changing it would do nothing except keep us from passing this sooner. I’d say it’s fine as it is.

Passing poorly worded bills for the sake of passing them faster is never a good idea.

[PSOL]

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the wording. In fact, changing it would do nothing except keep us from passing this sooner. I’d say it’s fine as it is.

Passing poorly worded bills for the sake of passing them faster is never a good idea.

There really wouldn’t be a difference. Any and all people earning a wage from an employer, which includes all collared workers, would be covered. The Proletariat isn’t just unskilled blue-collar workers.

Anyway, what brings a national politician to disturb our parliamentary session?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

While I tend to agree with PSOL that any change is cosmetic, since this is a constitutional amendment, I'm going to propose a change anyways rather than have to reintroduce this later.

AN ACT
to guarantee the rights of the laboring classes

Section 1 (Title)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Workers' Solidarity Act."

Section 2 (Amendment to the Frémont Free Speech Act)
i. As it appears in the Frémont Free Speech Act, "other organization or association" is defined to exclude public or private sector labor unions.

Section 3 (Labor Rights Amendment)
i. The following is appended to the Bill of Rights as the next ordinal section thereof.

A full-enfranchised proletariat labor force being necessary for the prosperity of a free people, the right of the working people to organize and bargain collectively shall not be infringed.

Section 4 (Implementation)
i. §3 shall take effect upon its ratification by the people, according to the procedure prescribed by the constitution of the Commonwealth by Article VI§2 thereof.
ii. All other provisions of this Act shall take effect immediately.

[PSOL]

I’m saying now that I’m going to stonewall this, no need to change the wording when nothing is going to change with it.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

I’m saying now that I’m going to stonewall this, no need to change the wording when nothing is going to change with it.

As you have said, there is no difference. Proletariat runs the risk of a weaselly lawyer making a successful case that it has a narrow definition, while Labor Force ensures that there's no chance of legal trickery.

[PSOL]

I’m saying now that I’m going to stonewall this, no need to change the wording when nothing is going to change with it.

As you have said, there is no difference. Proletariat runs the risk of a weaselly lawyer making a successful case that it has a narrow definition, while Labor Force ensures that there's no chance of legal trickery.

Explain to me how this could happen and under what grounds for this definition.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

I’m saying now that I’m going to stonewall this, no need to change the wording when nothing is going to change with it.

As you have said, there is no difference. Proletariat runs the risk of a weaselly lawyer making a successful case that it has a narrow definition, while Labor Force ensures that there's no chance of legal trickery.

Explain to me how this could happen and under what grounds for this definition.

The Proletariat has never been defined as referring to the entire Labour force.
Proletariat originates from the Latin Proletarius/Proletarii which was the lowest social class of roman society, those with property worth less than 11,000 asses, an amount so low that their only value to society was deemed to be their children, hence the literal translation of Proletarius, "producing offspring".
The word is brought into modern theory in the 19th century by a Swiss Economist, and Marx would copy his use of the word. Under Marxist theory the Proletariat is defined as the social class that does not have ownership of the means of production and whose only means of subsistence is to sell their labor power.
Modern definitions range from denoting solely the Industrial Working Class or the poor who engage in Manual Labour to a catch all term covering all the Working Class generally defined as waged workers who do not own the means of production and have nothing to sell but their Labour.

Under no definition of the term in the modern era does it include what Marx would have called the Petite Bourgeoise. The bulk of the middle class, and under most definitions Service Industries (retail) do not count as members of the Proletariat.


Proletariat is a vague term without an agreed upon definition that has never been used to denote all workers. By using it we are placing this constitutional right entirely in the hands of judges to decide how to define this vague concept.
If we want this amendment to be effective then we need a clear definition that includes all workers of all industries, professions and skills. To do anything else is to risk rendering the amendment null and void due to failing to grant Equal Protection to all persons.

Labor Force does have a clear definition. It is defined by the OECD, the Department of Labor and under accepted Economic theory as all people 16 and over who are classified as either employed and unemployed. Employed being those who work at least 1 hour a week in paid employment or self employment, and the unemployed defined as people without work but actively seeking employment and currently available to start work.

[PSOL]

Fine, it would be too much of a hassle to use antiquated definitions for such matters. I’m fine with the amendment going forward.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

The amendment having been adopted, I move for a vote.

[Roblox]

Motioning for a final vote.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Motioning for a final vote.

Do you mean calling a vote? I've already entered a motion for such above.

[Roblox]

Motioning for a final vote.

Do you mean calling a vote? I've already entered a motion for such above.

Ah yes, of course. Didn't look to see if 24 hours had passed since your motion. Well, since 24 hours have passed since Truman's motion and there have been no objections, I am now calling a final vote on this matter.

Aye.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Aye!

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Aye

[PSOL]

Aye

[Vern]

Aye

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

AN ACT
to guarantee the rights of the laboring classes

Section 1 (Title)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Workers' Solidarity Act."

Section 2 (Amendment to the Frémont Free Speech Act)
i. As it appears in the Frémont Free Speech Act, "other organization or association" is defined to exclude public or private sector labor unions.

Section 3 (Labor Rights Amendment)
i. The following is appended to the Bill of Rights as the next ordinal section thereof.

A full-enfranchised labor force being necessary for the prosperity of a free people, the right of the working people to organize and bargain collectively shall not be infringed.

Section 4 (Implementation)
i. §3 shall take effect upon its ratification by the people, according to the procedure prescribed by the constitution of the Commonwealth by Article VI§2 thereof.
ii. All other provisions of this Act shall take effect immediately.

Per the Frémont Constitution, §3 will be presented to the people for their approval next weekend (also, coincidentally, the date of the next senatorial election).

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Now that's fantastic, we'll get much better turnout and we won't annoy people with an unnecessary election.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Now that's fantastic, we'll get much better turnout and we won't annoy people with an unnecessary election.

My thoughts exactly!