One of the very positive aspects of the current debates on ‘sustainable development’ – however inadequate the concept may be -, is that it shows the necessary links between civil, political, social, economic and environmental rights.

First of all, economic rights cannot be separated from social rights.

First of all, because the ‘grey zone’ between non working ‘poor’ and waged ‘workers’ is growing very fast. There is a growing precariat, migrant workers without rights, part time workers, domestic workers, working poor … which needs immediate help PLUS social and economic rights. They need social security + social assistance, and in the longer term, a better status. Focusing on only one of both mechanisms cannot give sustainable satisfactory solutions.

Secondly, because many social services are needed for all people, independent from their ‘status’. Think of health care, education, pensions and family allowances. There is no reason to separate poor people from working people – even if it were possible. The same level and quality of protection is needed for all.

Thirdly, it is impossible to defend social rights in general if workers rights are not respected. Neoliberal policies constantly produce more poverty, precisely because workers’ rights are not respected, though at the ‘end-of-the-pipe’ social assistance cannot solve all the problems with limited social rights. The other way round: workers rights cannot be defended if the rights of the poor are not respected. With growing poverty and poor people willing to accept any job at any wage if there is no decent social assistance, workers’ rights are directly undermined. This means social rights in general and workers rights in particular have to be combined and be promoted and defended in a comprehensive way.

Fourthly, and maybe most importantly: separating the rights of the poor from workers’ rights is precisely what neoliberalism wants. There exists a neoliberal willingness to ‘help the poor’ (that is the ‘deserving poor’, able and willing to work), but at the same time to dismantle workers’ rights and weaken the trade unions. We should not let this happen, however much sympathy we have for the poor and for workers. Their rights should be promoted and defended in a comprehensive and simultaneous way.

Furthermore, social and economic rights are inextricably linked to environmental rights. What if you have a job and a decent wage but no water or sanitation around your house? Or if you have to work with hazardous materials? Or if you have no choice but to use polluting transport to go to your work?

And obviously, economic, social and environmental rights are not possible without democracy. You need the right to fight for your rights, you need, in other words, political citizenship.

The current manifestations in Hong Kong show this all very clearly. The fight is not just for voting rights or about Hong Kong vs China. Hong Kong is one of the most unequal societies in the world with a very high density of billionaires. These billionaires are perfect comrades of their Chinese colleagues. The fight for democracy, in other words, is also a fight against inequality, as it should be.

What progressive forces have to work at is a programme for fighting the fragmentation of rights. Of course we will always have movements who fight for children’s rights, or for the rights of the disabled of for pensioners. We have trade unions to fight for labour rights. But in the end, we should be aware that we necessarily have to fight together, for re-dynamizing and re-politicizing our societies, away from neoliberalism and away from economism.

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