Labor, dignity, and shared prosperity

Work is intended to give man self-assurance and dignity. Then why does one rob him of these two important fruits, by making work into drudgery, a load for those low on the economic ladder?

What hardship these coal miners have to suffer, how poor and needy they are! It is necessary for the directors of companies and the owners of factories to allot a certain share, however small it may be, to their laborers so that their condition may be improved and they may be deterred from striking.

How poor are they [labourers on ship], and how hard they toil! The presidents of factories and other operations must allocate a share [of the profits] for the workers in their companies, so that these poor souls may know some comfort. Perchance they may serve with all their heart and soul as a result and not go on strike.

That all mankind might have opportunity, it was necessary to shorten the hours of labor so that the work of the world could be completed without such demand of strain and effort, and all human beings would have leisure to think and develop individual capacity.

My objects are the establishment of the Cause of international arbitration, the promotion of the oneness of the world of humanity, the conformity of religion with science and reason, the elucidation of the essential unity of the divine religions, the explanation of the continuity of the prophetic revelation, the instruction of mankind in the knowledge of human brotherhood, the inculcation of the primordial oneness of all phenomena, the upraising of the standard of the solidarity of the human race, the creation of a nucleus for bringing about the universal race, the spread of the precepts of spiritual civilization, the teachings of the synthesis of the heavenly philosophy, the readjustment of the economic relations between the capitalists and laborers, so that each individual member of the world of humanity may enjoy the utmost welfare and prosperity, the organization of the Arbitral Court of justice - in order that all the nations of the world may settle before that Court their international disputes and thus remove all the traces of enmity and hatred and the upholding of the principle of one auxiliary, universal language.

Regarding the partnership of workers with capitalists that you wrote about: Workers must certainly receive daily wages, but in addition they should have a share with the capitalists so they will work with the utmost effort. For example, a capitalist who has a thousand workers must give them moderate daily wages so they do not remain hungry and unclothed, and also allocate a portion of the profit income specifically for the workers to be distributed among them at year's end, causing the workers to show the utmost zeal and give the utmost importance to perfecting their craft and work.

The Capitalists must be kind toward the Workers and treat them with justice and fairness; and they should appreciate the value of their labour; for labourers are serving the Capitalists. In the same way labourers ought to be pleased and grateful to the Capitalists; for their means of subsistance and comfort depend upon the help of Capitalists. If there were no Capitalists the labourers would be extremely distressed.

He was interested in the economic problem and asked the following question: "When the time comes for the working people to become the partners of their employers, will they have their own representatives to consult with the company and will those who invest more capital receive more shares?" Abdul-Baha replied: "Certainly, when the working people become partners with the company, they will select their own representatives for consultation and those who have more capital will earn more money."

Of course the workers, when they partner in the factory with the company, will elect from among themselves individuals for consultation, and it is certain that whoever has more capital will have a greater share.

Although expenses in England are less compared to America, still the wages of workers are low. This is why they go on strike and workers always unite and stop working. The Socialists cause revolution. Inevitably, complete rules and regulations must be established regarding workers' and laborers' affairs.

… If companies give workers a share, both strikes will be eliminated and it will cause general progress.

For instance, the factory owners reap a fortune every day, but the wage the poor workers are paid cannot even meet their daily needs: this is most unfair, and assuredly no just man can accept it. Therefore, laws and regulations should be enacted which would grant the workers both a daily wage and a share in a fourth or fifth of the profits of the factory in accordance with its means, or which would have the workers equitably share in some other way in the profits with the owners.

… The intervention of the government and the courts in the problems arising between owners and workers is fully warranted, since these are not such particular matters as are ordinary transactions between two individuals, which do not concern the public and in which the government should have no right to interfere. For problems between owners and workers, though they may appear to be a private matter, are detrimental to the common good, since the commercial, industrial and agricultural affairs, and even the general business of the nation, are all intimately linked together: An impairment to one is a loss to all. And since the problems between owners and workers are detrimental to the common good, the government and the courts have therefore the right to intervene.

What hath been stated is only an example and this doth not mean that it should be enforced exactly in this manner. The principle is that as a man's wealth increaseth, his financial obligations should proportionately increase, so that vast riches may not be accumulated in one place. In this manner justice may be exercised between the rich and the poor. Thus there will not be, on one hand, a man owning a thousand million and, on the other, a poor man in need of his necessary subsistence.

… These are only the preliminary principles; the House of Justice will arrange and widen them in accordance with time and place.

"The solution begins with the village, and when the village is reconstructed, then the cities will be also. The idea is this, that in each village will be erected a store-house. In the language of Religion it is called the House of Finance. That is a universal store-house, which is commenced in the village. Its administration is through a committee of the wise ones of the community, and with the approval of that committee all the affairs are directed.

… "If there is something left over (after these expenditures) it should be given to the Great House of Justice. And thus there will be no want in the village. The people will not remain hungry, they will not remain naked. All will be in the utmost welfare and comfort.

Those villages around the big cities are represented by the House of Justice of that city. The village is the unit. Its wise men are chosen to administer the affairs of the village. For example, there may be a farmer who has no animals, implements or seeds, and this committee will help him. There will be universal banks and the council will borrow money from them and loan it to the people. For instance they will borrow at three per cent and loan to the people at four per cent. The one per cent is for the expenses; and thus the village will have the storehouse.

In future a manufacturer will not be allowed to leave all his property to his own family. A law will be made something like this--that he must leave one-quarter only of his property to his family, and the other three-quarters must go to the factory workers who have created his wealth.

The Managers of these Steamship companies must in a degree look after each ones comfort and well-being of these poor men. They are not treated with kindness, and work very hard. The scale of their wages is very low. Often they have brought other nationalities to work in this line, but they could not stand its insurmountable difficulties except the Arabs. At least the Companies must build for them a public bath, so that when they leave their work they may wash their bodies. All day they breathe the dust of the coal, and thus their lungs are affected.

In brief, from among the wise men in every village a board should be set up and the affairs of that village should be under the control of that board. Likewise a general storehouse should be founded with the appointment of a secretary. At the time of the harvest, under the direction of that board, a certain percentage of the entire harvest should be appropriated for the storehouse.

The storehouse has seven revenues: Tithes, taxes on animals, property without an heir, all lost objects found whose owners cannot be traced, one third of all treasure-trove, one third of the produce of all mines, and voluntary contributions.

… On the other hand, should a person's income be two hundred, but his needs absolutely essential for his livelihood be five hundred dollars, and provided he hath not been remiss in his work or his farm hath not been blessed with a harvest, such a one must receive help from the general storehouse so that he may not remain in need and may live in comfort.

In every village there must be established a general storehouse which will have a number of revenues. The first revenue will be that of the tenth or tithes. The second revenue [will be derived] from the animals. The third revenue, from the minerals; that is to say, every mine prospected or discovered, a third thereof will go to this vast storehouse. The fourth is this: whosoever dies without leaving any heirs, all his heritage will go to the general storehouse. Fifth, if any treasures shall be found on the land, they should be devoted to this storehouse. All these revenues will be assembled in this storehouse. … In the village no one will remain in need or in want. All will live in the utmost comfort and welfare. Yet no schism will assail the general order of the body politic.

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No, Baha'u'llah did not bring a complete system of economics to the world. Profit-sharing is recommended as a solution to one form of economic problems. There is nothing in the teachings against some kind of capitalism; its present form, though, would require adjustments to be made. There are practically no technical teachings on economics in the Cause, such as banking, the price system, and others. The Cause is not an economic system, nor its Founders be considered as having been technical economists. The contribution of the Faith to this subject is essentially indirect, as it consists of the application of spiritual principles to our present-day economic system. Baha'u'llah has given us a few basic principles which should guide future Baha'i economists in establishing such institutions which will adjust the economic relationships of the world...

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