Ethicality of Labor-Strike Demonstrates by Social Workers

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Furthermore, the principle of utility is central to utilitarianism and implies the greatest good for the greatest number through moral actions that are made from a position of benevolence, selfless, and other-regarding (Parrott, 2010). Moreover, it suggests that the chosen actions should produce great overall happiness to the masses, irrespective of the suffering that such an action will bring upon oneself. Applying the principle of utility to the ethicality of social workers engaging in labor strike demonstrations, it becomes evident that such an action is not morally permissible. As a labor strike demonstration involves withholding expertise and labor, no service delivery can occur which will consequently result will in unhappiness, emotional pain, and deterioration of the well-being of the masses: client’s, organization, society. Moreover, such an action is also immoral as it is not other-regarding, benevolent, or selfless as it is about happiness for the self at the expense of the vast majority. Evidently, engaging in labor strike demonstrations is unethical and not morally permissible as it brings about more bad consequences than good.

Virtue Ethics

Lastly, virtue ethics can also be applied to determine the ethicality and morality of social workers who engage in labor strike demonstrations. Virtue ethics suggests that actions are morally permissible when it is consistent, done for the right reasons and by a person of good character. This implies that the motive and character of the person who engages in the actions are the determining factors of morality and not the outcome. According to Zavirsek et al. (2010), Social Workers are professionally trained to encompass and uphold virtues of beneficence, compassion, trustworthiness, social justice, benevolence, accountability, integrity, and nonmaleficence (Zavirsek et al., 2010). Engaging in a labor strike demonstration will bring these virtues into conflict as it is not upheld or adhered to. To this regard, a social worker who engages in the demonstration and withhold their labor, is less virtuous and their actions are not morally permissible.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper proposed and investigated the ethicality and moral worthiness of Social Workers who engage in labor-strike demonstrations to advance and improve their working conditions as well whether it is a gross violation of the rights of clients and the purpose of Social Work. To this answer these questions, this paper defined a labor-strike demonstration, its causes as well as the moral dilemma Social Workers when engaging in such an action. Moreover, this paper applied a Kantian, Utilitarian and Aristotle perspective to the subject matter and found that participating in labor-strike demonstrations is unethical, morally impermissible, and a gross violation of the purpose, values of Social Work as well as the rights of the client.

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Reference list

Banks, S. (2006). Ethics and Values in Social Work (3rd Edition). Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan

Business Dictionary. Accessed on November, 11 2017.

Retrieved from: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/strike.html>

Lundy, C. (2011). Social Work, Social Justice & Human Rights: A Structural Approach to Practice. University of Toronto Press.

Parrott, L. (2006). Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd

Zavirsek, D., Rommelspacher, B. & Staub-Bernasconi, S. (Eds.). (2010). Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work: International perspective. Ljubljana: Faculty of Social Work.

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