Right to work
The right to work is the concept that people have a
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative[1] measures the right to work in countries around the world, based on their level of income.[2]
Definition
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in Article 23.1:
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
— Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations General Assembly
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states in Part III, Article 6:[3]
(1) The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right to work, which includes the right of everyone to the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts, and will take appropriate steps to safeguard this right.
(2) The steps to be taken by a State Party to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include technical and vocational guidance and training programmes, policies and techniques to achieve steady economic, social and cultural development and full and productive employment under conditions safeguarding fundamental political and economic freedoms to the individual.— International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, United Nations General Assembly
The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights also recognises the right, emphasising conditions and pay, i.e. labor rights. Article 15, states:[4]
Every individual shall have the right to work under equitable and satisfactory conditions, and shall receive equal pay for equal work.
— African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, Organisation of African Unity
History
The phrase "the right to work" was coined by the French
The right to work, but also a duty, was placed in constitutions of the Soviet Union.[8]
Criticism
See also
- Critique of work
- Decent work
- Equal pay for equal work
- Full employment
- International labor standards
- Involuntary unemployment
- Labor rights
- Job guarantee
- Protestant work ethic
- Refusal of work
- Right-to-work law
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
- Youth suffrage
- Youth rights
- Age of candidacy
- Eight-hour day
- Six-hour day
- Right to leisure
References
- ^ "Human Rights Measurement Initiative – The first global initiative to track the human-rights performance of countries". humanrightsmeasurement.org. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ "Right to work - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 1966.
- ^ "African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights". www.achpr.org. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- ISBN 9780691007564.
Right to work.
- ISBN 978-90-411-1168-5.
- ISBN 978-90-411-1168-5.
- ^ Article 118 of the 1936 constitution; article 40 of the 1977 constitution.
- ^ Paul Lafargue The Right To Be Lazy, Chapter II, 2nd paragraph