Abstract:
This article explores the concept of ̳work with dignity ̳ in Sri Lanka through an
interdisciplinary integration of Christian Social Teaching (CST) and the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8.5, which targets full and
productive employment, decent work, and equal pay for all. Drawing on foundational CST
encyclicals such as Rerum Novarum (1891), Laborem Exercens (1981), and Fratelli Tutti
(2020), it posits work as a divine vocation that affirms human dignity, critiques exploitative
systems, and promotes solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good. In Sri Lanka ̳s labour
landscape - marked by colonial legacies, ethnic conflicts, the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2022
economic crisis, and persistent inequities in plantations, garments, and informal sectors -
these principles address structural challenges like gender wage gaps (20 - 30%), informal
employment (over 60%), and minority discrimination. By synthesising theological ethics with
empirical data and International Labour Organization (ILO) frameworks, the analysis
identifies convergences between CST ̳s moral imperatives and SDG 8.5 ̳s policy targets,
proposing pathways for ethical reforms: community cooperatives for full employment, rights-
based protections for decent work, and justice-oriented audits for equal pay. This holistic
approach transcends economic metrics, envisioning labour as integral to human flourishing.
Ultimately, the integration offers Sri Lanka a transformative agenda, enriching SDG
implementation with CST ̳s prophetic vision to foster just, sustainable economies rooted in
the inherent worth of every worker.
