Right to Work (Article 15) 56. Article 15: “Every individual shall have the right to work under equitable and satisfactory conditions, and receive equal pay for equal work.” 57. The right to work is essential for the realisation of other economic, social and cultural rights. It forms an inseparable and inherent part of human dignity, and is integral to an individual’s role within society. Access to equitable and decent work, which respects the fundamental rights of the human person and the rights of workers in terms of conditions, safety and remuneration,xviii can also be critical for both survival and human development. 58. The right to work should not be understood as an absolute and unconditional right to obtain employment. Rather, the State has the obligation to facilitate employment through the creation of an environment conducive to the full employment of individuals within society under conditions that ensure the realisation of the dignity of the individual. The right to work includes the right to freely and voluntarily choose what work to accept. 59. The right to work includes the following obligations of the State to: Minimum Core Obligations a. Prohibit slavery and forced labour, which include all forms of work or service exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and/or for which the said person has not offered himself/herself voluntarily. It includes also all forms of economic exploitation of childrenxix and other members of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. b. Ensure the right to freedom of association, including the rights to collective bargaining, to strike and other related organisational and trade union rights. These rights include the right to form and join a trade union of choice (including the right not to), the right of trade unions to join national and international federations and confederations, and the right of trade unions to function freely without undue interference. c. Provide adequate protection against unfair or unjustified arbitrary and constructive dismissal, and other unfair labour practices. National Plans, Policies and Systems 21 d. Adopt and implement a national employment strategy and plan of action based on and addressing the concerns of all workers (in both the formal and informal sectors) and the unemployed. e. Take appropriate steps to realise the right of everyone to gain their living by work which they freely choose and accept. Such steps include, for example, technical and vocational guidance and training programmes; policies to achieve steady economic; social and cultural development and full productive employment; administration of services to assist and support individuals in order to enable them to identify and find available employment including the