Dr. Ziyad Abdulwahab Al-Nu’aimi
College of Law – University of Mosul

The right to work stems from being a human right that enables a person to obtain employment of their own, with the freedom to choose it, in return for receiving fair wages and ensuring a free and dignified life for themselves and their family, and to receive compensation proportionate to the work without discrimination on any basis. The right to work is considered one of the fundamental human rights and falls within the economic sphere as it pertains to the human right to earn an income. States have succeeded in enacting laws concerned with workers and labor for the sake of a decent living, without the worker having to wait for charity or assistance from anyone.

However, merely establishing the right to work is not sufficient; states have also undertaken to regulate working conditions to prevent the exploitation of workers and the waste of their rights, through the regulation of working hours, leave, rest periods, and ensuring the safety of the worker, the workplace, and its conditions.