New approaches to enforcement and compliance with labour regulatory standards

The 1998 Declaration defines these fundamental rights to be: freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; the effective abolition of child labour; and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.4 In 2008, the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalizati [...] For example, among others, Weil14 discusses the use of a strategy known as the ‘hot cargo’ boycott, which utilizes a provision of the Fair Labor and Standards Act in the US to enable state boycotts or the embargoing of goods that are manufactured in violation of the Act. [...] Specifically, the legislation was designed to set minimum standards for Ontario’s labour market and provide legislative protection for those most vulnerable to employer exploitation.29 The core standards of the ESA were altered through minor reforms in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, most of which added to the scope of legislative protections for workers in the province. [...] Further, in the case of mass layoffs, the legislation required that employers provide the Ministry of Labour (MOL) with an explanation of the economic circumstances surrounding the termination, a summary of consultations with employees and the affected community, any proposed measures to help those laid off, and a statistical profile of affected workers. [...] Finally, the amendments promote a voluntary approach to ES regulation, specifically through amendments that give ESOs a role in bringing employers and employees to a mediated settlement, with the Act stating that “[n]either party would have to participate in such a settlement unless they agree to it.”38 In addition to the OBA, the MOL struck an Employment Standards Task Force to address the backlo