workers' rights
13
2.9
- noun
- /ˈwɜrkərz raɪts/
- For a century and a half of British rule, there had been minimal legislation to protect workers' rights.
- violations of workers' rights
- protection of workers' rights
- mechanism to protect workers' rights
Examples
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COLSIBA then moved to demand a workers' rights agreement for all Chiquita operations.
Academic text (2002) -
Accordingly, there is no internationally binding enforcement mechanism to protect workers' rights in the South.
Academic text (2002) -
Union members do not lay down; they fight back and they fight for workers' rights.
Blog text (28) -
There might not be numerous employees remaining; however, they fight for workers' rights.
Blog text (27) -
Certification has had important social effects, especially in terms of community and workers' rights.
Academic text (2006) -
Abroad, it means pushing for greater protection of basic workers' rights.
Academic text (2007) -
My models here are the movements for black freedom, workers' rights, and women's rights.
Blog text (1) -
The Progressives were behind many reforms aimed at cleaning up capitalism and protecting workers' rights.
Blog text (29) -
The reforms contained within AgJOBS are concerned primarily with farm workers' rights, such as guaranteed work, fair wages, and travel compensation.
Academic text (2004) -
Many activists are fighting for workers' rights to ensure fair treatment in the workplace.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
workers' + right
The phrase is a straightforward possessive composition: a B1 learner who knows 'worker' and 'right' can infer that these are rights that belong to or concern workers (legal/social entitlements). The structure and meaning are compositional and cross-linguistically common, so no special idiomatic knowledge is required.
Etymology
Workers' rights grew from the image of many workers' standing together with signs and asking for rights like 'fair pay' and 'safe working conditions'. So today workers' rights means the 'legal and social protections' people have at work, including 'fair pay', 'safe conditions' and the right 'to organize'.