Abstract In this article, we consider how Covid-19 revealed the extent to which, in Britain, the core functions of labour law have been compromised by successive governments stretching back to the 1980s and how workers collectively have been failed as a result by a discipline intended ostensibly in their interests. We seek to measure these deficits against a set of core normative principles rooted in ILO standards which we believe underpin labour law as a discipline of worker protection. We look first at the exploitation of critical workers; second at the failure generally to make adequate provision for income security; and third at issues relating to health and safety at work. Our consideration of these issues addresses both the substantive law and the means for its enforcement. Having considered the systemic failures and lack of resilience of British labour law in this article, we intend to return to the theme in Part II at a later date to address the lessons learned and the overhaul which the pandemic has revealed to be necessary.

中文翻译：

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Covid-19 和劳动法的失败：第 1 部分

摘要 在本文中，我们考虑了 Covid-19 如何揭示英国劳动法的核心功能在多大程度上受到可追溯到 1980 年代的历届政府的损害，以及工人集体如何因一门学科而失败表面上是为了他们的利益。我们力求根据一套植根于国际劳工组织标准的核心规范原则来衡量这些缺陷，我们认为这些原则将劳动法作为一门保护工人的纪律加以巩固。我们首先来看对关键工人的剥削；第二，一般没有为收入保障作出足够的准备；第三是与工作中的健康和安全有关的问题。我们对这些问题的考虑既涉及实体法，也涉及其执行手段。