Labour Rights

All workers have the right to just and favourable remuneration for their work to ensure they can live a life of dignity.

This means that employees should receive fair wages that are enough to meet their basic needs, and the needs of their families, and to provide some discretionary income. Wages and benefits paid to employees must meet, at minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmarks which set the applicable national minimum wage. The fundamental role of the national minimum wage is to protect workers from exploitation and from receiving pay which is so low that workers’ basic needs cannot be met.

The national minimum wage differs between countries and is dependent on economic and social factors existing in the relevant country, including the general level of wages in the country, the cost of living, accessibility to social security and comparative standards of living. 

Employers must ensure they have effective payroll procedures to ensure all employees are paid at least the national minimum wage, including providing employees with a written record of wages paid. Employees should be provided recourse in the event they consider they have been underpaid and they should not fear that it will impact their employment. Employers must pay employees any underpaid wages.