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Informal Employment, New Forms of Work and Enforcement of Labour Rights

The informal employment question is, first of all, a major challenge for economies and labour markets throughout the world. More than 60 per cent of the world’s employed population are …

HOT GOODS PART I: ROOTING OUT FORCED LABOR IN SUPPLY CHAINS USING THE “HOT GOODS” PROVISIONS OF THE FLSA

“In June of 2019, the owner of a Utah pecan farm was ordered to pay $1 million in back wages to victims of exploitative child labor in violation of the …

All Roads Lead to Rome: Strengthening Domestic Prosecutions of Businesses through the Inclusion of Corporate Liability in the Rome Statute

“Although “business” might not be the first word that springs to mind when thinking of widespread atrocities committed in conflict and post-conflict situations, the involvement of corporate actors in such …

What lessons does France’s Duty of Vigilance law have for other national initiatives?

Last week, a group of French city mayors and NGOs (Notre Affaire à Tous, Eco Maires, Sherpa and ZEA) sent the first formal notice under the France’s Duty of Vigilance law of 2017 to …

Commentary: Questionable Opinion About the Gig Economy

As OnLabor covered last week, the Department of Labor recently issued an “opinion letter” finding that the workers deriving income from an unnamed “virtual marketplace company” are independent contractors and …

Commentary: Jurisdiction, access to remedy in business and human rights cases, and the corporate structure: A tale of two cases

This note introduces two cases, both concerned with liability under a duty of care of parent companies, the obligation of ‘due diligence’ in supply chain operations and the obstacles presented …

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Commentary: Jabir et al vs. KiK: Do EU companies have an extraterritorial duty towards suppliers in global production chains?

Multinational companies not only maintain subsidiaries in multiple jurisdictions but have increasingly outsourced production to independent suppliers. Industrial disasters like the Ali Enterprises (AE) factory fire in Karachi, Pakistan, or …

Commentary: How to Fight Sexual Harassment at Work? Empower Women Workers through Trade Unions

No-one was within earshot, but Roja (not her real name), a garment worker, spoke in whispers as we walked in a park on a Sunday, her day off, in Mysore …

Law and Politics in Employee Classification

As has been widely reported, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an “opinion letter” yesterday concluding that an unnamed “virtual marketplace company” does not employ the workers who make the company …

Zambian farmers can take Vedanta to court over water pollution. What are the legal implications?

Gabrielle Holly at Omnia Strategy LLP analyses the UK Supreme Court’s landmark decision. This morning, the Supreme Court delivered its much anticipated judgment in Vedanta Resources PLC and anor v Lungowe …