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Labour and labour law in the project of international development

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Colonialism and the modern project of development are deeply entangled—with labour provided by the Global South directly feeding processes of industrialisation in the Global North. Yet while labour has been central to development, it has played a marginal role, as its normative subject, the worker in a ‘standard employment relationship’, bears little resemblance to work and workers in developing countries. Orthodox understandings of modernisation hold that formalisation of labour, land, markets, and finance provide a path to development and progress for workers. This chapter offers a corrective to that view, indicating how regulatory initiatives concerning trade, labour standards, land, and entrepreneurialism, along with private law mechanisms, form part of the broader law of work, effectively determining the rights and protections of workers.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of International Law and Development
EditorsRuth Buchanan, Luis Eslava, Sundhya Pahuja
PublisherOxford University Press
Chapter22
Pages457-476
Number of pages20
ISBN (Electronic)9780191959448
ISBN (Print)9780192867360
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Nov 2023

Publication series

NameOxford Handbooks
PublisherOxford University Press

Keywords

  • waged labour
  • informality
  • formalisation
  • colonialism
  • global value chains

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Social Sciences

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