The ability of workers to freely form unions is such a fundamental human right that the United Nations (UN) holds countries accountable for violating those rights, according to Lance Compa, senior lecturer in labor law at Cornell University. “Even countries that have...
More than 100 participants took part in ILAW’s first conference in November 2019. Credit: Solidarity Center/Matt Hersey
Established in December 2018 by the Solidarity Center, the International Lawyers Assisting Workers (ILAW) Network is the largest global network of workers’ rights lawyers and advocates. Given that workers are confronting common legal issues worldwide, and that, increasingly, legal issues involve multiple jurisdictions, effective representation of workers and unions requires uniting legal practitioners and scholars to exchange information and ideas from around the world.
The ILAW Network’s core mission is facilitating collaboration among members to develop creative solutions to promote workers’ rights around the world—through campaigns, policy analysis, litigation and legislation. The network has successfully supported workers and unions around the world to defeat repressive legislation, promote legal reforms and explore novel litigation to hold companies responsible for union busting. The ILAW Network also holds an extensive online library of news and legal information from around the world to keep members up to date on legal developments.
The ILAW Network is supported by an advisory board of 20 lawyers from 20 countries, with expertise on a broad range of legal matters.
Worker Rights Lawyers Join in First Global Conference
From Chile to Zimbabwe, the past year has been one of protest and struggle as unions, workers and citizens are standing up against economies that do not work for working people, said Solidarity Rule of Law Director Jeff Vogt, opening the first International Lawyers...
Hundreds of Worker Rights Lawyers Set to Meet in Mexico
More than 100 worker rights lawyers from around the world will identify common challenges, share successes and plan strategic partnerships next week in Mexico City at the first International Lawyer Action Network (ILAW) conference. “The ILAW Network’s inaugural...

Freedoms on the Move: The Civic Space of Migrant Workers and Refugees
Freedoms on the Move, a new report by Solidarity Center and CIVICUS, makes clear that many migrant workers and refugees want to have a say in their communities and their workplaces, and in the decisions that affect their lives—and is an urgent call to action for...

ILO GBV at Work Standard: First-Ever Comprehensive Legal Standard
A Solidarity Center legal analysis shows the proposed ILO convention on gender-based violence and harassment at work is necessary because no global binding instrument exists that comprehensively addresses violence and harassment in the world of work, including...

In Our Own Words: Women Workers Address Gender-Based Violence in Garment Factories in Cambodia
While studies have shown the prevalence of violence against women at home and in their communities, no comprehensive data exists to document the extent of gender-based violence (GBV) at work. To better understand GBV at work, 23 activists and female leaders of workers...

In Our Own Words: Women Address Gender-Based Violence in Garment Factories in Indonesia
While studies have shown the prevalence of violence against women at home and in their communities, no comprehensive data exists to document the extent of gender-based violence (GBV) at work. To better understand GBV at work, 17 activists and female leaders of workers...

The High Cost of Low Wages in Haiti (2019)
Haitian garment workers face increasing difficulty in covering basic expenditures as prices soar while wages hover far below the cost of living. Download here in Creole. Download here in English. Download here in French.

The Benefits of Collective Bargaining for Women: A Case Study of Morocco
This study by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and Solidarity Center finds women workers in Morocco’s fertile Meknes region are making big gains in gender equality on the job through their union, the Confédération Démocratique du Travail (CDT)....