Click the link here or below to read the full briefing by CJC and UNISON
The International Labour Organization’s core labour rights are human rights. In particular, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and collective bargaining are enabling rights: they allow workers to defend and secure many other rights at work and in wider society. Labour rights are therefore essential not only to decent work and safe working conditions, but also to healthy democracies, strong local communities and inclusive economic development.
Trade unions, the core democratic mechanism for addressing power imbalances in the workplace are linked to higher productivity, lower inequality, reduced gender inequality, more resilient supply chains and a genuine Just Transition.
Yet labour rights are under grave threat almost everywhere and in many countries organising a union is increasingly treated as a criminal act. Without freedom of assembly and association, workers have no power to challenge the conditions that entrench poverty, fuel inequality and weaken democracy. When trade union rights are denied, other labour rights are undermined, including the rights to a living wage, paid leave, safe working conditions and protection from discrimination, unfair dismissal and forced labour.
In this new briefing, CJC and UNISON show how the UK urgently needs a Business, Human Rights and Environment Act to protect labour rights, provide remedy and prevent violations from occurring in the first place thus supporting democratic accountability, strengthening workers’ voice in decision-making, protecting other human rights, and contributing to more resilient, secure and productive economies.
Protecting labour rights globally is economically and politically rational. A Business, Human Rights and Environment Act would help support healthy democracies, boost productivity, strengthen supply chain resilience and security, and reduce instability at home and abroad. It is, therefore, also essential to advancing the UK’s social and economic goals.
Click the link here to read.
Posted by: CJC Team | Tagged as: Update Briefing
