right to work

noun — 3 senses

right to work

noun

UK /ɹaɪt tə wɜːk/ · US /ɹaɪt tə wɝk/

1

Ethics, Human sciences, Law, Philosophy, Sciences The human right (the right of an individual) to have gainful employment.

  • 1948, United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 23.1), United Nations Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
2

Law US The prohibition of union security agreements or closed shops; the prohibition of the requirement that those who take on work in a unionised shop join the union or pay it for representing them.

3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see right, work.

Related terms
Rand formula, right to strike

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.