Trade Unions as Human Rights Organisations: Approaches to and Experiences of Human Rights Advocacy

By Matthew Evans

Can trade unions be reconceptualised as human rights organisations? This groundbreaking study explores the untapped potential of labour movements in human rights advocacy, drawing on extensive interviews with representatives of union confederations worldwide.

Evans provides both theoretical foundations and empirical evidence for viewing trade unions through a human rights lens, examining existing partnerships with NGOs and identifying opportunities for enhanced collaboration. Through detailed analysis of concrete political campaigns, this book reveals how union-based advocacy networks operate in practice.

Essential reading for scholars of labour relations, human rights and political advocacy, this innovative work opens new pathways for understanding and strengthening human rights movements globally.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1529246970
• ISBN13: 9781529246971
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Bristol University Press
• Length: 192 Pages