Labour and Societal Relationships with Nature. Conceptual Implications for Trade Unions

The authors argue that labour should become a topic of focus in the analysis of unsustainability in order to establish practical paths towards sustainability. They present the concept of ‘societal relationships with nature’ and demonstrate the need for a stronger consideration of the connections between labour and nature. The authors reveal the power structures that are intricately linked with the organisation, distribution, and valuation of labour in society. To take them into account, they argue, is crucial for an adequate assessment of the recent introduction of labour into the political and scientific sustainability debates, for example, through the UN’s ‘sustainable work’ concept. Taking trade unions in Germany and Austria as an example, the implications of this theoretical perspective for labour environmentalism are explained.