The extension of labour rights as a form of human right is a fairly modern philosophical .
According to Kolben, "a large and growing number of labor law and industrial relations scholars have argued that labor rights ought to be understood and conceptualized as fundamental human rights." This in a parallel movement, a growing number of labor rights organizations have begun to deploy human rights discourse and methods" This position holds that the recognition of the ability of workers to organize and receive full legal protections is a fundamental human right. Furthermore, it is made through the recognition that the wellbeing of the individual depends upon the working conditions that he or she faces. This section will examine the trend toward viewing labour rights as essential human rights as well as offer a critique of this perspective.
Labor rights are defined as freedoms and rights associated with the proletariat and plebian working classes, that defend and protect their rights to freely choose jobs on their own accord rather than be assigned specific work, the right to freely assemble and protest poor working conditions and unethical business practices, protect their right to a fair wage for their labor, and much more actions that fall under the umbrella of fair working conditions. The Canadian workforce is made up of individual laborers who deserve access to occupational freedom and the legal and strategic avenues toward attaining this goal. .
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains several clauses that are inserted to protect humans against slavery and unfair work. Article 4, for example, protects the basic human right not to be subjected to slavery and servitude. These provisions hold significant implications for the standards that labourers and humans are entitled to in Canada, as it is a signatory nation to this document. The debate over whether these rights are protected under a non-binding but highly influential agreement hinges upon the unique legal interpretations of the countries which signed.
