Labour Rights

What is the role of labour rights in human rights law? This chapter considers this question. It addresses the normative grounding of labour rights and their legal protection through human rights law, but also considers objections to pursuing workers’ claims through human rights law. It proposes that this legal approach is compatible with collective goals promoted by trade unions and other workers’ organisations and further explains that it can be particularly important for precarious workers who are under-unionised and under-represented in politics. Workers, trade unions, and other organisations need to pursue several different avenues to achieve justice at work. The legal protection of labour rights as human rights by national and international bodies, and their vindication by workers, trade unions, and other civil society organisations can help address injustices that affect everyone, and particularly some of the most disadvantaged groups