Just work for a just transition? Degrowth and the future of dignified work

Precarious, flexibilised and informalised work has been a norm rather than the exception. Globally, formal employment, with a job contract, sick leave, vacation, rights to safe workspace, defined working hours, etc., has only been a reality for a minority. Much of the global workforce work outside formalised workspaces which include all types of economic activities deemed as ‘informal’, such as, sub-contracted factory workers, street vendors, waste pickers, paid domestic workers, and a whole range of itinerant traders who are central to the global circulation of goods and services. Discussions on work within degrowth argue for more sustainable solutions that include better working conditions. However, much of these visions and proposals presume a formalised form of labour. This chapter highlights that a degrowth future cannot be imagined without accounting for informalised, precarious and low-income workspace, where most of the globe works.