Many in the field of labour law have missed the significance of the 2011 Human Rights Council's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, The Employers appeared to be pulling back from any legal definitions imposing a duty on them.  This unexpected stance, which focused on the right to strike, exposed a subject usually not directly addressed; namely, the obligation of companies to abide by workers' rights.   The paper discusses  two major pronouncements on human rights at work and will consider the impact these have had on the acceptance of ILO core conventions.

Many in the field of labour law have missed the significance of the 2011 Human Rights Council's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, The Employers appeared to be pulling back from any legal definitions imposing a duty on them.  This unexpected stance, which focused on the right to strike, exposed a subject usually not directly addressed; namely, the obligation of companies to abide by workers' rights.   The paper discusses  two major pronouncements on human rights at work and will consider the impact these have had on the acceptance of ILO core conventions.