17: Labour Rights and Practices

Labour law is a broad field of law that regulates issues including employment, compensation, working conditions, trade unions, and labour relations. The elements of labour law differ from the laws of contract, tort, or property in that they are less uniform than the laws controlling a specific legal relationship. Labour law encompasses both social security and disability insurance in its broadest sense.

Thus, the extent to which many other rights, like the Right to education, health, and culture, are exercised is indirectly impacted by the Right to labour. Its realization is crucial for both the peaceful development of society and the individual's personal growth and dignity, in addition to the provision of income to the person.

At a workplace, an employee expects fair partnership and equal opportunity in the organization. Therefore, the right to strike, the right to associate, the right to organise, and the right to collectively bargain are all guaranteed in order to safeguard employees and create a level playing field.

In order to curtail this unequal partnership International Labour Organization which was created in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles, became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1946.^[1] The agency pursues its fundamental mission—that labour peace is necessary for prosperity—by dedicating itself to promoting social fairness and widely acknowledged human and labour rights.

Objectives of ILO in terms of Labor practices

• Improve possibilities for women and men to find a decent job and earn a living
• Promote and actualize standards, fundamental principles, and rights at work;
• Broaden the scope and efficacy of social protection for all
• Enhance social dialogue and tripartite

Best Practices for Industries

Understanding employee labour regulations is essential to comply with labour laws, you must keep abreast of legal developments and ensure that your company's operations are compliant with the law.
There are multiple laws pertaining to labour rights and practices across the globe which are country and region-specific. However, some laws are generic and broad. Running a business requires adhering to and keeping up with all the current applicable labour laws and regulations. Here are a few major labour laws.

Wages and Hours

It’s really important to have acts and laws around fair wages and overtime pay, which affect most private and public employment. Employers must pay covered workers who aren't exempt from other laws at least the federal minimum wage.
Additionally, appropriate paid well-being/medical and family leaves are equally important.

Workplace Safety and Health

Workplace injuries and illnesses have a devastating effect on employees, businesses, and entire communities and economies. The prevention of accidents and illnesses related to the workplace remains crucial on a global level despite major advancements.Employers also have a general obligation to give their workers jobs and a workplace free from known, major hazards. Many organizations like OSHA inspects workplaces and conduct investigations to enforce the law. There are also cooperation programmes and compliance support offered.

Worker’s compensation

Appropriate and timed compensation is a really important labour law across nations, as this acts as a motivating factor and loyalty towards employers. Benefits from workers' compensation may include a portion of lost wages for the time the employee was unable to work. Reimbursement for medical services and occupational therapy may also be one of the perks. It also includes provisions for people who were injured or ill on the job. It functions as a worker's disability insurance scheme, offering monetary compensation, healthcare benefits, or both, to employees who get ill or injured due to their jobs.

Employee Benefits Security

This includes regulations around providing work-related benefits, such as retirement and health plans which are needed to be safeguarded. By educating all parties involved such as beneficiaries, participants, and sponsors.
Unions and their Members
The freedom to assemble and the liberty of association are cornerstones of the lifetime of citizens during a constitutional democracy. These freedoms enable organizing for the achievement of collective aims and the engagement of citizens with one another. Though some nations and private organizations still do not allow their employees to form unions and associations, and there is always discussion around it.

Employee Protection

Employees who report legal wrongdoing by their employers must be protected as whistleblowers under the majority of labour, public safety, and environmental laws. Remedies can include job reinstatement and payment of back wages.
It is difficult for global corporations to manage compliance with the relevant standards because the regulatory employment law landscape is complicated and evolving quickly. Thus, it becomes vital for companies to stay updated and vigilant about labour’s rights and practices.

Case Study

A case of Unilever

Unilever is a British multinational consumer goods company that has a presence in more than 190 countries and employs 148000 people across the world. Their labour rights and practices are discussed throughout.
Oxfam, a not-so-profit organization that leads a global movement of people who are fighting inequality to end poverty and injustice, their work is grounded in the commitment to the universality of human rights. Oxfam conducted a study in Vietnam, of Unilever's operations and wider supply chains and compares that finding with the company’s high-level policy commitments.
The business gave the study full access to its employees, operations, data, and suppliers. This made it possible for Oxfam to evaluate the labour standards in light of local and international standards.
The study concentrated on three topics:

• Freedom of association and collective bargaining
• Minimum living wage
• Working hours
• Contract labour

These topics are significant to workers but challenging for businesses to monitor and control. The study found that Unilever has made a significant commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, and the company's ideals are held in high regard by its employees. Employees are viewed as crucial to the company's success.
The company has also acknowledged that the best results come when factory workers are empowered and are provided with good conditions for working.

Thus, it has pledged to uphold global labour rights and has aimed to completely implement the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Labor Rights, in how it conducts business.This calls for the corporation to embrace a more people-centred strategy, wherein employees identify the concerns and goals that are most important to them and provide feedback on the nature of their working lives and the efficacy of Unilever's systems.