Decent work involves opportunities for work that delivers a fair income, care for occupational health and safety, freedom for people to organize and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men. The Labour Law department at Leiden University conducts research and provides education on all issues related to the decent work concept. More specifically, that includes the following:

Van der Heijden Social Justice Chair

On the occasion of prof Paul van der Heijden’s stepping down as Rector Magnificus and President of the Executive Board of Leiden University in 2013 the Chair bearing his name on Social Justice was established. It was a “farewell present” of the Leiden University to it’s Rector.

The Chair is closely related to Van der Heijden’s work as scholar and his longterm involvement in the work of the International Labour Organisation, ILO. From 2002 – 2017 he was independant Chair of the ILO’s standing Committee on  Freedom of Association.

Every October the Social Justice Lecture is held by the Chairholder.

• In 2018 prof. Janice Bellace University of Pennsylvania, USA) gave the lecture entitled: Labour Rights as the Means for Recognizing Human Rights at Work.
• In 2017 prof. Frank Hendrikx (Universiteit Leuven, België) gave the lecture entitled: Social justice and labor rights: EU and ILO face palms in the governance web.
• In spring 2016 an international conference was organized on  Ensuring Coherence in fundamental Labor rights Case Law, , with speakers including former President of the European Court of Human Rights, Dean Speilmann who spoke on Proliferation of Fundamental Labor Rights Enforcement Mechanisms.
• In spring 2016 werd the lecture was given by prof. Alan Neal (Warwick University, UK).
• In 2014 prof. Lance Compa (Cornell University) held the chair,  his lecture was entitled: Re-Planting a Field: Labour Law for the Twenty-First Century.

ILaRC, International Labor Rights Case Law Journal

This is a Journal about Fundamental Labour Rights as formulated by the ILO in 1998: Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining,                  Freedom from Child Labour, Forced Labour and Discrimination at work, and Health and Safety at the workplace.

The Journal is published 3x per year, see Brill.com/ilarc, founding-editor-in-chief: prof Paul van der Heijden

Private Enforcement of Fundamental Labour Rights

• Database Business Ethics, dbbe.org
• The rapprochment of ILO standards and CSR mechanisms: towards a positive understanding of  'privatization'
• De Nederlandse IMVO-Convenanten, inhoud werking en waarde

ILO 100

On 7 February 2019 the 100-jarig bestaan van de International Labour Organisation gevierd. was celebrated in Leiden. This festive occasion was organized by Leiden University together with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. The main theme of the day was the “Future of Work”, and the possible consequences of the changing world of work for the ILO and its regulatory systems.  Various speakers provided their vision on this topic. A number of publications are now provided below to inform you about the topics discussed at the event.  

• The ilo Stumbling towards Its Centenary Anniversary
• Paul van der Heijden en Yvonne Erkens ILO 1919-2019

Dissertation

Under supervision of prof. Paul van der Heijden dr. Fred van Haasteren wrote a dissertation "Decent Flexibility", The Influence of ILO Convention 181 and Legislation on Temporary Work Agencies.

Fundamental Labour Rights

• Paul van der Heijden,  International Right to  Strike under Stress 
• Koroma en Van der Heijden,  Review ILO Supervisory Mechanism
• Paul van der Heijden en  Ruben Zandvliet, Enforcement of Fundamental Labour Rights