Subjects:

Human Rights and Civil Liberties

Contents:

Introduction Bob Hepple QC

Part I. Responses to Globalisation:
1. Common law, labour law, global law Lord Wedderburn QC, FBA

2. The interaction of ILC, Council of Europe and EU Standards Paul O'Higgins

Part II. The Potential of Fundamental Social Rights in the European Union:
3. The Politics of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights Manfred Weiss

4. Market freedom and social rights Silvana Sciarra

5. Corporate governance, European governance and social rights Catherine Barnard and Simon Deakin

Part III. Constitutionalisation and Enforcement of Social Rights: Some Comparisons:
6. Social rights as fundamental human rights Ivan Hare

7. The legal efficacy and significance of fundamental social rights: lessons from the European experience Antoine Lyon-Caen

8. An American perspective on fundamental labour rights Cynthia Estlund

9. The impact of fundamental social rights in Japanese law Takashi Araki

10. Enforcement: the law and politics of co-operation and compliance Bob Hepple QC.

The active pursuit of social and labour rights is seen as a crucial response to globalisation. These essays, written by leading scholars from the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA, question the effectiveness of the new rhetoric of rights such as those to decent work and security, equal opportunity, adequate food and housing, and healthcare. The authors examine emerging new approaches in several European countries, Japan, and the USA and in codes of practice of multinational companies. Recent attempts by the International Labour Organisation to promote core rights and decent work, and new techniques of enforcement at regional level by the EU and NAFTA receive special attention.