Labour, Capital and Social Cohesion in a Post-pandemic Framework

Komparativna istraživanja pokazuju da sindikatima i zaposlenima „dobro ide” samo u situacijama paralelnog demokratskog razvoja i ekonomskog rasta koji vode socijalnoj koheziji i smanjenju nejednakosti. Unutar aktuelne pandemijske krize, uz već postojeći demokratski deficit, ponovo ulazimo u period pada ekonomskih pokazatelja i daljeg rasta siromaštva i nejednakosti. Dramatično ekonomsko zaostajanje Srbije se može delimično nadoknaditi samo visokim stopama rasta. Promena je moguća radikalnom promenom ekonomske politike u čijoj je osnovi objedinjavanje nužnih regulativnih sa razvojnim funkcijama i ulogom države, odnosno jasan razlaz sa raširenim neoliberalnim ekonomskim mitovima. Pandemijska kriza, kao istovremena kriza i ponude i tražnje, kroz brojne izazove, poput rada na daljinu i razvoja internih sistema kontrole i redukovanja troškova, urgentnim čini kreiranje Novog društvenog ugovora kojim će se definisati radni standardi i bazični prihodi za sve radno angažovane.Comparative research shows that trade unions are “doing well” only in situations of parallel democratic and economic growth which lead toward social cohesion and reduction of inequality. Simultaneous effectuation of all tree development factors never occurred in Serbia. Within the current pandemic crisis, along with democratic deficit, we are re-entering the period when drop in economic indicators causes further increase of poverty and inequality. Serbia’s dramatic stunting can only be partially compensated by high growth rates. Change is possible only with radical change of economic policy, implying integration of necessary regulatory and development functions and role of the state, in other words clear abandonment of widespread neoliberal economic myths. Pandemic crisis, as the crisis affecting both supply and demand, with its numerous challenges, such as remote working, and development of internal control systems and cost reduction that may lead to further flexibilisation of work, urgently requires the creation of a new Social Contract that would define labour standards and basic income for all persons engaged in any form of work