(NUPGE) – Our National Union is using December 10, International Human Rights Day, as an opportunity to promote the fact that labour rights are human rights.
“We need to create greater awareness here in Canada and around the world that labour rights are a critical component of human rights helping to protect and promote the social and economic wellbeing of the human population,” according to NUPGE National President, James Clancy. “Human rights cannot flourish where labour rights are not respected.”
Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on December 10th to commemorate the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration was one of the UN's first major achievements, and remains a powerful instrument and symbol worldwide.
Two fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration are the right to freedom of association (Article 21) and the right to join a union and bargain collectively (Article 23).
“To appreciate the significance of these rights, one must understand the broad role unions play in society,” noted Clancy. “Unions do far more than negotiate decent wages and benefits for its members; they also play a critical role in ensuring greater economic and social justice for all citizens. No country has ever achieved widespread prosperity without strong unions.”
Clancy made reference to studies by the World Bank and the International Labour Orgaization (ILO) that identify the positive role unions play in society.
In a 2003 report on the effects of unions on the performance of national economies, the World Bank found that “high rates of unionization lead to greater income equality, lower unemployment and inflation, higher productivity and speedier adjustments to economic shocks.”
Most recently, a major 2008 ILO study found the countries in which income inequality was lower tended to be those in which a greater proportion of workers were members of unions. It also found that higher rates of union density had a positive impact on the range of social rights afforded to citizens: “The countries in which union density rates are higher are also the ones in which the welfare state is more developed, taxation levels higher and more progressive, collective bargaining more centralized and labour law both closer to international labour standards and better implemented.”
“The international evidence clearly shows that labour rights are a key component to a functioning democracy and an equitable and sustainable economy,” said Clancy. “We must continue to make the connection between strong labour rights and our ability to achieve economic justice and equality for all Canadians.”