Welche Rechte braucht der „arbeitende Souverän“? Ideen für eine Weiterentwicklung industrieller Staatsbürgerrechte

Industrial citizenship rights are those rights that are directly linked to the status a working person has. They ensure material and democratic participation, create social cohesion, guarantee social recognition and structure the socialisation of individuals. This article analyses the role of industrial citizenship rights for processes of social integration and shows that gainful employment can enable not only material but also social and democratic participation, and that these four aspects only guarantee actual social integration when they interact. The emphasis on the interplay of all aspects is central because it makes clear that democratic participation in the context of gainful employment cannot be thought of independently of other forms of participation. The point is that democratic participation presupposes social integration. Based on these considerations, the article discusses limits of the concept and cornerstones for a possible further development, among other things, with regard to the lack of inclusion of unpaid care work and to date the exclusive focus on the national context and therewith the too narrow framework for industrial citizenship.