Definition: Every person who goes to work has certain rights on the job. Many of the rights are based on a document that the United Nations drafted in 1948 titled "The Declaration of Human Rights." This declaration is supposed to provide protections for all workers in the world, like the right to "just and favorable" working conditions, the right to equal pay for equal work and the right to join a union. However, the United Nations doesn't have any authority to enforce this document, and in many cases, worker's rights are left up to the individual country's government.
This doesn't mean that all countries follow the rules of their individual governments. For example, in China, labor law mandates a 40-hour workweek and requires at least one day off per week for workers. However, these laws are routinely violated. Workers are often required to work seven days a week, are paid below the minimum wage and are not paid for required overtime. Even in the United States, these laws are often violated. For example, in Los Angeles, nearly 70% of immigrant garment workers are paid below the minimum wage.
