A human rights centered approach to labor law : analysing international labor law to address the decent work deficit in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The convergence of international norms targeted at individual protection formulates part of the most substantial advances of modern international law. The consideration herein is two-fold with international labor law on the one dimension and international human rights law on the other. In discerning these two considerations, a number of intersections can be construed, that is – A copious number of labor rights are intrinsic within various human rights protected by the requisite international human rights instruments. Inversely, the core general human rights are instrumental in the consideration of labor rights due to their very nature wherein they constitute the requisite precondition for the exercise of labor rights. What can be deduced from this thesis is that despite certain structural differences, there is a close correlation between labor rights and human rights in form, application and aspiration. The structural differences are negligible in so far as labor rights contribute to the socio-economic infrastructure that human rights seek to regulate. That correlation between labor rights and human rights is yet to be intentional in so far as obligations and enforcement of human rights is concerned. What is left to dialogue, tripartism, international discourse, academic scrutiny and civic action - sometimes treated as mutiny - should in fact be canvassed within the precepts of inalienability, indivisibility and interrelatedness and equality characteristics of human rights. There are overlapping legislative objectives in the consideration of human rights. In applying the human rights epoch to enforcement of labor rights, one draws closer to the full and intentional realisation of the ILO Decent Work Agenda through social justice