International Labour Law

In an interconnected world, international labour law is vital for securing workers’ rights and dealing with the negative effects of globalization. In this course, we will tell you the story of international labour law and human rights at work in an accessible, clear and comprehensive way. 
This basic course is designed for a wide audience: for people interested in labour law, human rights, corporate social responsibility, social policy, labour management and the functioning of international organizations. Furthermore, this course will also pave the way for more in-depth study of other subjects related to international, social and labour law. Throughout the 7 modules we underline the practical value of the knowledge we provide you with, so that you know the different options available to defend your labour rights. This way, we connect the theoretical know-how about the scope and content of the most important international labour standards with practical applicability. 
This course is particularly useful for lawyers working in the field of labour law or human rights, as well as for trade union representatives, NGO staff, CSR officers and teachers in labour law and social policy. 
One of the unique features of this course is the involvement of prof. Jean-Michel Servais, who is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of international labour law and who has worked at the heart of the International Labour Organization for many years. 
The lecturers – Jean-Michel Servais, Elena Sychenko (Associate Professor at St. Petersburg State University), and Sebastiaan Rombouts (Associate Professor at Tilburg University) will help you discover the most important international labour standards, such as freedom of association, equal treatment, and the prohibition of child labour and forced labour. We will teach you about the specifics of protecting labour rights as human rights, will guide you through the history and future of the International Labour Organization, and will analyse the concept of corporate social responsibility and fundamental workers’ rights. 
In short, the course is designed to provide you with a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills on international labour law. After completing our course, you will not only understand the content of the standards and instruments involved, but also know how to use the procedures of the international system to secure those rights.

Module 1. General part: The Subject, Method, System and Sources of International Labor Law

Module 2. ILO Law

Module 3. The Critical Assessment of the ILO's One Hundred Years Quest for Social Justice 

Module 4. International and Regional Human Rights Instruments as Sources of ILL

Module 5. The Relevance of the ECHR to Labour Rights Protection

Module 6. International Labour Standards and Responsibilities of Corporate Actors

Module 7.  The Efficiency of International Labour Standards

Upon completion of this course the learners will know the most important international labour standards, such as freedom of association, equal treatment, and the prohibition of child labour and forced labour; the specifics of protecting labour rights as human rights; the history and future of the International Labour Organization; as well as be able to analyse the concept of corporate social responsibility and fundamental workers’ rights. 

The course is aimed at the formation of general learning competencies for Bachelor’s and Specialists’ programs, as well as other competencies included in the education program.