The Charter

The world of work is in urgent need of repair. Across the European Union (EU) and in the United Kingdom (UK), despite their strategic roles in the functioning of national economies, nightworkers are excluded from political agendas and public debates about who is and who is not an ‘essential’ or ‘key’ worker. There is a pressing demand for a new set of arrangements that address the specific problems with nightwork, e.g., invisibility, isolation, and tremendous negative impacts on health. That is why I think you should take interest and help in the setup of this open, democratic process to improve the lives of nightworkers. Show your support and sign the Nightworker Charter.

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This Nightworker Charter offers fresh and concrete ways (how) to recognise, (what) to address, and (who could and should) repair the problems with nightwork. Join many others and become one of the signatories by supporting the Nightworker Charter.

What is the Nightworker Charter?
The Nightworker Charter seeks to improve the working conditions of nightworkers. 

The Nightworker Charter gives nightworkers the voice and tools to gain recognition for their many contributions to national economies.

What does the Nightworker Charter do?

The Nightworker Charter offers practical solutions to improve nightworkers' working conditions on the basis that all relevant stakeholders:

(1) Recognise the problems specific to nightwork

(2) Address the multi-layered precarity associated with nightwork

(3) Make nightwork a stand-alone form of work in legal terms


Why is the Nightworker Charter relevant now?

Nightworkers play a crucial role in supporting nighttime economies (NTE), day workers, and national economies throughout Europe. Yet today we all face a health crisis. This Nightworker Charter represents solidarity with nightshift workers, be they the frontline or even the ‘non-essential’ workers who have helped us get through this awful period. The Nightworker Charter begins a reparation process that defends nightworkers’ rights embedded within current constitutional arrangements but are hardly ever implemented.

How did the Nightworker Charter come about?

For the past decade, I have reached out to the many people who inhabit the night. I do this in my various capacities: as a night ethnographer, migration scholar, outreach worker, and collaborator with NGOs that work with vulnerable groups. I do this because I care about the vulnerable migrants and locals doing hidden, yet essential labour – and that’s why I think you should help. 

The ideas behind this Nightworker Charter have developed through my conversations with individuals and organisations who also care about those working the invisible nightshift. The Nightworker Charter remains open to collaboration with individuals and organisations pledging to improve conditions for those who work nights.

How can you get involved?

Individuals and organisations are invited to sign this charter and invite others to do the same. Recommend the charter to unions, labour organisations, employers, local and regional councillors, and health and safety organisations.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

E: thenightworkshop@gmail.com
Web: www.nightworkercharter.org
Unit 14099 | PO BOX 6945 | London W1A 6US | United Kingdom

COPYRIGHT:
Some rights reserved. This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO licence (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/).

Suggested citation: 
MacQuarie, Julius-Cezar. (2022). NIGHTWORKER CHARTER: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INVISIBLE WORKERS IN NIGHTSHIFT CITIES ACROSS EUROPE (ver.02-08.02.22). Zenodo. Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO.

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ENDNOTES
[1] In this charter, the words ‘migrants’, ‘immigrants’ and ‘foreign-born’ are used synonymously.
[3] See Bejan 2020; Manolova 2020; MacQuarie 2020.
[4] See Irish Times 2020 for a discussion on migrant workers angry over lack of Covid-19 protection in meat plants.
[5] Trade Union Congress (2015).
[6] Eurofound (2017), Sixth European Working Conditions Survey – Overview report (2017 update), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
[7] Trade Union Congress (2019).
[8] Greater London Authority (2018).
[9] Corresponding author. To Engage with this charter and the debate please email imailfromdrjc@gmail.com | imacarie@nec.ro or visit www.nightworkercharter.org
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