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of the employment terms, since there is no written work contract; lack of knowledge of the
terms of the trade or mobility agreement and, where there are competing agreements, the
applicable framework; lack of knowledge of national labour and migration laws or the local
language; lack of access to competent representation or legal aid; obstacles to unionization;
and fear of retaliation from employers or deportation. In the Guiding Principles on Business
and Human Rights, it is acknowledged that migrants often do not enjoy the same level of
legal protection of their human rights as the wider population and that this prevents valid
cases involving business-related human rights abuses from being adjudicated.
50.
Most trade agreements aim for settlement between the parties outside of judicial
review. Examples of such agreements have been concluded with, among others: ASEAN,
the European Free Trade Association, the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR),
NAFTA, the Southern African Customs Union and SADC. Similar trade agreements have
also been concluded between Japan and Switzerland and between Tunisia and Turkey,
among others. It is worth noting, however, that some trade agreements can be invoked
before domestic courts, for example in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
51.
Given the endemic power imbalances in the trade regime, it is not surprising that
Governments have rarely brought forward labour cases in the context of trade and may
even challenge them. The majority of cases end up stalled in administrative channels
created under the trade terms. Very rarely, other outreach solutions have been identified to
remedy violations of migrants’ rights. NAFTA has an advanced dispute settlement
mechanism, but the remedies available are illusory and beg the question of enforceability,
since the North American Agreement on Labour Cooperation (NAALC), an accord parallel
to NAFTA, only provides for binding remedies where an arbitral panel finds a violation
relating to child labour, occupational health and safety, or minimum wages. Penalties are
not imposed for labour standards violations and complaints rarely advance beyond the
national administrative offices established to monitor NAFTA. In the so-called
“Washington State apples case” (1998), when Mexican workers filed a complaint under
NAALC alleging violations of their rights to unionize and bargain collectively, to
protection from discrimination and to health and safety, and alleging that employers used
threats and intimidation, the Washington State authorities established a complaints hotline
in Spanish, produced Spanish-language information materials and recruited additional
Spanish-speaking staff in the agriculture sector.
52.
The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that strengthening access to justice for migrants
to pursue judicial remedies directly is essential to combat asymmetry in the trade regime
(see sect. V below).
Economic, social and cultural rights and integration
53.
Under international law, States have a binding obligation to ensure the economic,
social and cultural rights of all individuals without distinction, including the right to work,
which provides migrants with compensation that is equal to that provided to nationals, a
decent living for themselves and their families, safe and healthy working conditions, rest,
leisure and a reasonable limitation on working hours and periodic holidays with pay, as
well as remuneration for public holidays. States also have the responsibility to respect and
uphold the rights to, inter alia, education, health, social security, housing, food and water, a
healthy environment and culture in a manner that promotes non-discrimination, dignity and
freedom for migrants.
54.
The Special Rapporteur is concerned that the respect, protection and fulfilment of
economic, social and cultural rights remain too often elusive for migrants, especially lowwage workers or those in an irregular situation. States have not consistently established
policies with corresponding accountability mechanisms that ensure the full range of
economic, social and cultural rights for migrants, regardless of legal status. The Special
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