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Labour law (American English: labor) or employment law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which addresses the legal rights of, and restrictions on, workers and their organisations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees. In some countries (such as Canada), employment laws related to unionised workplaces are differentiated from those relating to particular individuals. In most countries however, no such distinction is made. The labour movement, heavily influenced by socialism, has been instrumental in the enacting of laws protecting labour rights in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The function and origins of labour law
Labour law arose due to the demands of workers for better conditions and the right to organise, and the simultaneous demands of employers to restrict the powers of workers' organisations and keep labour costs low. Employers costs can increase due to workers organising to win better wages, or by laws emposing costly requirements, such as health and safety or equal opportunities conditions. Workers' organisations, such as trade unions, can also transcend purely industrial disputes, and gain political power - certain interests in society may be opposed to this. The state of labour law at any one time is therefore both the product of, and a component of the conditions for, struggles between different interests in society.
For example, workers' and trade union legal rights in the United States are relatively restricted, compared to most European countries. However, the compartmentalization between different laws systems mean that illegal aliens, for example, may work in the same sectors as full citizens (although they most often work in difficult and tiring jobs which natives don't want). As a counter-example, if labor laws are more protective in France, due to social, historic and cultural differences, illegal aliens may not be legally contracted. Thus, they have a more difficult time finding jobs and often work in the underground economy. However, if they do manage to get residency or, better yet, be naturalized, than they will get better labor conditions than US immigrants.
More on [ Labour and employment law ]
Conflict Resolution :: Employee Relations
Labor Management Relations :: Work
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Co - Buckinghamshire law firm, representing business clients for employment matters.
Co - Focus: Redundancy, dismissal and general employment. Profile and services.
Meta Description: [ Redundancy, dismissal, disciplinary: Employment solicitors for redundancy, dismissal & disciplinary. ]
Co - Focus: Unfair dismissal, employment tribunals and ACAS and tax and employee share schemes.
Meta Description: [ Solicitors specialising in Employment Law, Corporate Law, Taxation in London City UK, delivering focused UK legal advice in the specialist areas of employment law, share options, share plans, tax, corporate company law for directors, senior executives and employersā€¯. ]
Co - Focus: Executive termination packages. Includes resources and a recruitment section.
Meta Description: [ Specialist firm of employment solicitors Ā– acts for both Companies and Executives. ]
Co. - A niche solicitor serving both employers and employees.
Meta Description: [ A solicitor specialising in UK Employment Law. Specialist employment law solicitors providing independent legal advice to employees on Compromise agreements, normally at no cost. Quick and easy to use service with no appointment necessary. Nationwide service ]
Employease - London based employment law specialists.
Meta Description: [ Personal employment law advisors London UK French/English specialist in employer, employee, redundancy, harassment, discrimination law ]
Employment Integration - Focus: Employment law, including training services to businesses. Leamington Spa, Warwickshire;.
Meta Description: [ Employment Integration - Specialist UK Employment Law Solicitors based in the West Midlands ]
Employment Relations - Employment solicitors providing advice on aspects of workplace law for both employers and employees. Includes a fixed price company health check.
Meta Description: [ Employment solicitors providing advice on all aspects of workplace law for both employers and employees including discrimination, dismissal, maternity rights, discipline and grievance procedures. ]
Eurolawline - Focus: Provision of legal expenses indemnity in the event of a tribunal application. Describes services and includes contact details. Middlesborough based.
Oxford Employment Law Practice - Focus: HR training and mediation. Includes employment insurance protection schemes. Oxford based.
Meta Description: [ The Oxford Employment Law Practice is a specialist employment law firm based in Oxford providing employment law advice, HR Training and mediation services. ]
Roderick Ramage - Specialising in conflicts of interest, pensions, employment and company law, mainly to assist other solicitors whose clients need advice but who do not have their own pensions law department.
Meta Description: [ The site contains particulars of Roderick Ramages law practice specialising in conflicts of interest and pension schemes law and also contains articles on law topics pubished by him. It offers support to solicitors in England and Wales, UK. ]
Sherrards - Focuses on HR consultancy, training and international employment law. London and West Sussex offices.
TCS Consultancy - Focus: Employment tribunal services. Cornwall based.
Meta Description: [ TCS advise businesses in all aspects of employment law from bespoke production of contracts, policies and procedures to tribunal representation ]
Winston Solicitors - Focus: Health and safety, unfair dismissal and industrial disease. Includes Criminal Compensation Authority claims services.
Meta Description: [ Winston Solicitors, No Win No Fee - Compensation Lawyers for employment and personal or criminial injury claims ]
Work Problems - Focus: Consumer advice for work related issues. Includes resources procedures and a freephone number.
Meta Description: [ Employment Law Solicitors is a trading name of Bulfin & Co Solicitors, a specialist Employment Law Practice. We deal with nothing but employment law so that you can be confident that you are putting your matter in the hands of experts. We are also a Firm of Solicitors and not a claims company. Th... ]
