Critically Assess the Difference between Labour Standards and Labour Assignment

Critically Assess the Difference between Labour Standards and Labour Rights with Reference to the Work of the International Lab - Assignment Example Introduction The United Nations was established in 1945 to maintain global peace, â€Å"to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom†.1 It discharges its functions effectively through the working of a number of specialized organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) that aims to reduce hunger and poverty by developing agriculture and â€Å"providing healthy dietary intake†2 , the World Health Organization (WHO) that strives for the control and eradication of diseases, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that works for monetary cooperation among nations and many more.3 One such organization is th e International Labour Organization (ILO) that promotes social justice for laborers and aims to elevate the standards of labor rights and practices. ... bor compensation, social insurance, paid vacation, safety of industrial workers, employment service and labor inspection†.5 The achievements of the ILO in the pursuit of its objectives have been many like the ‘Tripartite Meeting on Safety and Health’ in the fishing industry in 1998-99 that set safety standards for fishermen.6 However, the deviation of the actual labor standards in comparison to the labor rights stated by the ILO is a subject seeking great evaluation. In this context, research in labor policies initiated by the ILO is of considerable relevance. The paper will presently address this problem of divergence of labor practices from the standard labor rights given by ILO. Labour Standards of the ILO The labor standards theoretically stated by the ILO are reflective of its objectives and goals but whether or not these standards are applied in reality, in case of all member nations, is debatable. Statement of Labour Rights In 1995, five broad fundamental ri ghts were identified by the ILO, addressing men, women and children workers of the world. They are freedom of association, right to organize and bargain collectively, freedom from forced labor, right to equal remuneration and non-discrimination in employment and the abolition of child labor.7 Freedom of Association implies that workers have the right to associate with one another and form unions or groups for the pursuit of a common objective or goal. The common objective is usually something aimed at improving the conditions of work for the laborers.8 Freedom to organize and bargain collectively states that the workers have the right to organize themselves into trade unions and other organizations. Collective bargaining occurs between these bodies and the management of a company on a variety of issues