Final answer:
Waste pickers claim formal employment, waste rights, and recognition, livelihood, and dignity through collective mobilization. They reflect a larger conversation on environmental justice, where low-income countries seek support for the disproportionate impact they face due to global waste disparities.
Step-by-step explanation:
In response to the question on what claims waste pickers have made on states through collective mobilization according to Samson, waste pickers have indeed made significant claims. These individuals who scavenge recyclables for a living often assert their rights to enhance their working conditions and fundamental dignities. Specifically, their claims include a demand for formal employment, a right to the waste they collect, and societal recognition of their contributions, as well as livelihood and dignity.
The efforts of waste pickers highlight broader global discussions on environmental clean-up and the rights of marginalized groups. In particular, low-income countries often argue in international environmental talks that they should receive support for clean-up efforts as they deal with the disproportional impact of global waste, much of which originates from high-income countries. They often stress the need for fair support and recognition of their national circumstances, including the burden on their informal waste sectors. Here, Rawls' principles pertaining to the welfare state and fair equality of opportunity may resonate with these arguments. Peaceful mobilization and collective action, such as those led by waste pickers, help states and the global community to look more closely at public-good provisions, environmental justice, and sustainable resource management.