International labour law is the body of rules spanning public and private international law which concern the rights and duties of employees, employers, trade unions and governments in regulating the workplace. The International Labour Organization and the World Trade Organization have been the main international bodies involved in reform labour markets. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have indirectly driven changes in labour policy by demanding structural adjustment conditions for receiving loans or grants.
International labour standards refer to conventions agreed upon by international actors, resulting from a series of value judgments, set forth to protect basic worker rights, enhance workers’ job security, and improve their terms of employment on a global scale. It is the aim of international labour standards to ensure the provision of such rights in the workplace, such as against workplace aggression, bullying, discrimination, and gender inequality on the other hand for working diversity, workplace democracy, and empowerment.
- While the existence of international labour standards does not necessarily imply implementation or enforcement mechanisms, most real-world cases have utilised formal treaties and agreements stemming from international institutions.
- The primary international agency charged with developing working standards is the International Labour Organization (ILO). Established in 1919, the ILO advocates international standards as essential for the eradication of labour conditions involving “injustice, hardship and privation”.
- According to the ILO, international labour standards contribute to the possibility of lasting peace, help to mitigate potentially adverse effects of international market competition and help the progress of international development.
- Since the industrial revolution, the labour movement has been concerned about how economic globalization would weaken the bargaining power of workers, as their employers could move to hire workers abroad without the protection of the labour standards at home
