From Decent Work to Good Work. On the Importance of Guiding Principles in Labour Policy

Abstract

This article contrasts the International Labour Organisation's decent work model with the concept of good work developed by the German trade unions. Both approaches place the quality of working conditions at the centre of labour policy interest. The design of the concepts shows differences. While decent work focuses on globally valid minimum standards, good work is about more differentiated demands regarding work content and organisation. It is a continuation of the debate on the humanisation of work from the 1970s and 1980s. The DGB's good work index is a survey instrument that uses employees' assessments of their work as a yardstick for evaluating the quality of work.