ABSTRACT
In most of the world, labor movements are conven-tionally considered to be the most critical force in civilizing society. From a comparative and historical standpoint, labor is intimately related to the creation of social democracy on a global basis. From the dawn of industrial capitalism, labor movements have advocated greater levels of political and economic equality, giving rise to the creation of liberal-democratic states in the West that have conferred systems of universal electoral participation which have in turn engendered social programs that promote the provision and more equitable distribution of basic human needs: healthcare, education, housing, food, and dignity at the workplace.
