A cross national survey of the legal framework for the protection of casual work arrangements in some selected countries

Abstract

Nonstandard and casual work arrangements are paradigms shift from standard work arrangement which require special legal protection. This arrangement is prevalent in most developing countries as a result of high unemployment rates which has bedeviled their economies. Other factors like globalization, the shift from the manufacturing sector to the service and informal sectors and the spread of information technology have created a new economy which demands flexibility of legal arrangements in the workplace. Nonstandard or casual employment relationship is a worldwide phenomenon that cuts across various jurisdictions, genders and professions. This paper undertakes a comparative study of the legal framework of the protection of these categories of workers in Nigeria and some selected jurisdictions. The paper aims at analyzing the efficacy or otherwise of the extant Nigerian statutory framework in relation to those of other jurisdictions. The paper makes a case for an effective and adequate comprehensive body of legislation to deal with the precarious legal position of such workers.

Keywords: Casual Work Arrangement, Labour, Protection, Legal Framework