A Precariat Charter

A Precariat Charter is that rare thing: a text from the left that does not yearn for a lost past, but energetically embraces the future. It offers progressive politics a revived purpose: not a surrender to economic practices as if they were forces of nature, but the pursuit of a common security that would enhance our humanity because, as he puts it, "knowing that your fellow citizen has the same rights as you do humanises us all". -- John Harris * The Guardian * Standing follows his influential analysis of the precariat as the new dangerous class with a comprehensive list of demands and suggestions for how this class can abolish itself through a struggle for rights, eroded by neo-liberal austerity that has caused widespread existential insecurity. Standings insightful and encouraging book will be welcomed not only by members of the precariat but equally by non-precarians on the left seeking inspiration for a new progressive programme. * Claus Offe, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany * In his call for 'social empathy' in politics, Standing offers an important corrective to decades of neoliberalism, while his demand for rethinking of the nature of work rightly seeks to undo centuries of damaging thought on the issue. The Charter offers a series of positive steps towards reshaping society to provide a better life for the vulnerable majority in our societies. * Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales * This is an impressive book ... [in which] Standing puts forth some thought-provoking and compelling ideas ... The proposals are written in a simple and accessible way, and they make for a powerful, if sobering read ... With a long history working on and researching these issues and with much direct experience out in the field, there can be few people better qualified to speak to these important issues [than Standing]. -- Tracy Shildrick, University of Leeds, UK * Sociology * This is without doubt one of the most important and powerful books I have read in a long time. Building on his influential thesis about the precariat Professor Standing provides not only a graphic account of the increasing insecurity and poverty facing many people in the contemporary age, but he also points to clear and workable solutions to many entrenched problems. The book brings into sharp relief the declining fortunes of the ordinary citizen and the role of governments in defining ever harsher life and working conditions for many. Whilst there is much in the book which is depressing this is ultimately an inspiring work which is full of promise. I have little doubt that it will become a classic of the future but its real potential lies in its clear and convincing mandate for political change. Quite simply, a tour de force. * Tracy Shildrick, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds, UK, and co-author of Poverty and Insecurity: Life in low-pay, no-pay Britain * Building on the success of his much-discussed The Precariat, Guy Standing has now elaborated a brave and imaginative program that could bring protection to the denizens of the world and save us all from the destructiveness of neoliberal capitalism. A terrifying catalogue of destitution and dispossession. * Michael Burawoy, University of California, Berkeley, USA * No one interested in the fate of labor in the 21st century can ignore Guy Standing's The Precariat, which transformed both scholarly and political debates about the future of work in capitalist societies. A Precariat Charter is equally indispensable, not only updating and elaboration the earlier book's theoretical framework but also offering a detailed political program to attack the extreme inequalities and insecurities that neoliberal globalization has unleashed. For Standing, the precariat is not merely a victim but also a dynamic agent of social change. Building on the groundwork laid

Guy Standing is Professor of Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK, and co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network. His books include The Precariat (2011) and Work after Globalization (2009).

Introduction 1. The Precariat 2. How Rights are Denied Political, Civil and Cultural 3. How Rights are Denied Economic and Social 4. Occupational Insecurity 5. A Charter for Liberty 6. A Charter for Fraternity 7. A Charter for Equality 8. The Ecological Imperative