The rights of workers, migrant workers and trade unions under the European convention on Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights (hereafter: ‘the Court’) has contributed immensely to the protection of social rights in general, and labour rights in particular. I would like to highlight four specific areas which demonstrate the richness of the case law in this area. I will firstly expand on individual issues connected to general worker’s rights, by covering unfair dismissal, rights to private and family life, freedom of religion and freedom of expression. Next, I will discuss the strengthening of migrant workers’ rights through the Convention. Thirdly, I will turn to trade union rights in relation to the freedom of association. Finally, mirroring the economic landscape of the past decade, I will utilize case law to demonstrate how austerity measures can impact human rights, and how the Court has responded to this critical issue.