Within the context of international trade

International trade

International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...

, a social clause is the integration of seven core ILO

Ilo

Ilo is a port city in southern Peru, with some 58,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the Moquegua Region and capital of the province of Ilo.-History:...

 labour rights conventions into trade agreements.

Background

Core labour standards would inserted into an article within the WTO Agreements which could be a more viable option than amendment of the Agreements themselves. If a member state

Member state

A member state is a state that is a member of an international organisation.The World Trade Organization has members that are sovereign states and members that are not, thus WTO members are not called member states.- Worldwide :...

 violated the social clause, the breach could become subject to WTO scrutiny, through the usual WTO dispute settlement provisions (provided provision is made for this when inserting a social clause). As a result of dispute settlement proceedings, the DSB could, at the request of the complaining party, recommend that retaliatory trade measures be taken against the offending country.

Core ILO conventions

• Freedom of association
  Freedom of association
  Freedom of association is the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests....
  
   and collective bargaining
  Collective bargaining
  Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
  
   (Conventions 87 and (98);
• Abolition of forced labour (Convention 29 and 105);
• Prevention of discrimination in employment and equal pay for work of equal value (Conventions 111 and 100);
• Minimum age for the employment of children
  Child labor
  Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
  
   (Convention 138)

See also

• Decent work
  Decent work
  Decent work is the availability of employment in conditions of freedom, equity, human security and dignity.According to the International Labour Organization ILO, Decent Work involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social...
  
   agenda of the ILO

International Labour Organization Conventions

• Labour movement
  Labour movement
  The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...