Labour Rights in International Law

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2008:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

The subject aims to familiarise students with the key elements of the international legal system for the protection and promotion of the rights of workers and organised labour. Students will be introduced to the core labour standards that protect workers' basic rights: freedom of association and bargaining, non-discrimination in employment, and freedom from forced labour and harmful child labour. The subject will examine the sources of international labour law and the institutional structures for its development and oversight. These include the International Labour Organisation, the human rights institutions of the Council of Europe, and the law-making powers of the European Union. We will consider theories of international labour regulation and the recent proliferation of international labour laws. This will include the role of non-state actors in both the development and enforcement of international labour law. An important part of this aspect will be to consider the relationship of international labour law to human rights law generally, and to international trade and economic law, including the roles of the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. We will conclude by considering the impact of international labour law on domestic legal systems, including Australia in particular.

Note: The essay in this subject is regarded as a substantial piece of legal writing for honours purposes.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Upon completion of the subject, students should have made progress in their development of the following generic skills:

• attitudes towards knowledge that include valuing truth, openness to new ideas and ethics associated with knowledge creation and usage
• the capacity for close reading and analysis of a range of sources
• the capacity for critical and independent thought and reflection
• the capacity to solve problems, including through the collection and evaluation of information
• the capacity to communicate, both orally and in writing
• the capacity to plan and manage time
• the capacity to participate as a member of a team
• intercultural sensitivity and understanding