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Unit of study_
LAWS6816: Labour Law in the Global Economy
2025 unit information
This unit will explore the notion of the global economy, highlighting its impacts on norms, assumptions and ideas we have about the purpose and operation of labour law. Students will be introduced to the architecture of international labour law by an examination of leading organisations such as the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and others. We will also examine the ways in which the global trading system does (or does not) engage with labour matters, including consideration of bi-lateral and multi-lateral trade agreements. Less traditional regulatory modes such as corporate self-regulation, ethical consumerism, supply chain regulation will also be analysed. The purpose and effectiveness of these institutions and processes will be evaluated through a consideration of a number of thematic issues, including freedom of association and the protection of trade union rights, forced labour including so-called modern slavery, working time issues including working during the pandemic, and informal or non-standard work in the gig economy. We will compare some of the relevant Australian laws with those of other countries in these thematic areas. Refer to the Sydney Law School timetable - https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/4533/pages/postgraduate-lecture-timetable
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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LAWS6252 or a law degree and LAWS6071 (MLLR students) |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. gain an advanced understanding of the architecture of transnational, regional and international labour, labour regulation, and the strengths and weaknesses of these systems.
- LO2. gain an advanced understanding of other modes of self-regulation and legal regulation of labour in the global economy and how these relate to the traditional international labour law hierarchy.
- LO3. gain an advanced understanding of how the many different ways the globalised economy challenges these regulatory structures and systems through the lens of several themes, including trade union rights, modern slavery and forced labour, working patterns (including during the pandemic), and informal work in the home and in the gig economy.
- LO4. critically evaluate the various forms of labour law considered in this subject and identify possible areas for legal reform.
- LO5. develop basic research and analytical skills.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
There are no availabilities for this year.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2a 2025
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Block mode | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
