Workers'
Protection

Individual and collective violations of basic human rights, accidents and tragedies affect workers all around the world despite international and national provisions on protection of workers’ rights and safety.  In our globalized economy, corporations from developed countries often produce goods in poor or developing countries, where they can take advantage of inexpensive labor. Inexpensive labor typically comes paired with a lack of concrete safety and health protections.  Many times workers are prevented from joining organizations or unions to advance their interests.

We believe that all workers have the right to a safe working environment and the right to be treated with dignity and respect.  Advocacy for all workers is essential to ensure workers’ safety as well as protection against human rights violations.

GJN lawyers and experts have the knowledge and tools to assist individual workers and collective groups of employees or workers’ families.  We are also available to assist local lawyers by advising them as to whether a particular claim may or may not be actionable abroad against multinational corporations and international bodies.

In addition to the liability of multinational corporations that violate workers’ rights in other countries, there also exists potential liability on the part of international companies that run “certification systems” because in many cases the procedures followed in the certification process are unreliable, patchy or totally ineffective.

Our lawyers have been and are involved in many different cases concerning workers’ claims, including personal injuries and fatal accidents at workplaces, unfair dismissals, sexual abuses, etc.  Among international cases our lawyers represent workers involved in maritime disasters as well as survivors and families of victims of massive work-related tragedies.