<p>This article discusses the relationship between Portugal and the International Labour Organization (ILO), considering the extent to which the ILO’s system of international labour standards is recognised at the national level in the context of labour law and labour relations, and observes the ILO’s special procedures (complaints and representations) in the field of international labour human rights. The use of the ILO’s system of complaints and representations by national social actors is relevant for the configuration of the Portuguese labour relations system, considering that the changes and tensions emerging from labour relations gain expression and voice within these mechanisms. In order to assess the effectiveness o...