The Role of Labour Law in Enabling Mechanisms for Mitigating Military Conflicts. A Legal Model of Peace

The world is perpetually shaken by various forms of military conflicts, and these occurrences have consistently captured the attention of the International Labour Organization (ILO) due to their profound impact on far-reaching consequences on an international labour market. Our study aims to address potential strategies for mitigating risks arising from military conflicts. We firmly believe that labour law should be highly flexible and centered on neutralizing the ramifications of conflicts for states and citizens. Our research question guides the examination of labour law, using the ILO and Swiss labour law as cases, considering the location and scale of the military conflict. Existing literature on the development of the ILO’s legal and regulatory framework predominantly focuses on events, with limited attention given to analyzing the connections between them and lessons for the present. It is crucial to explore these connections to prevent the repetition of negative historical patterns and the compounding of problems. We express deep concern regarding the impact of military zones on the world of work. There is an imperative need for heightened attention to labour law response mechanisms. We strongly claim certain spheres of work must remain neutral concerning military conflicts. Labour law has long been engaged in formulating specific rules of conduct for employers and employees during the outbreak of armed conflicts. We contend labour law norms can serve as a means of promoting peace. In this regard, digital tools like the «Digitale Peer-Gruppen-Beratung» can prove instrumental in implementing pre-agreements among nations, employers, trade unions, and workers. By expanding functions from consultative to providing relocation of groups of workers due to the unscrupulous foreign policies of their countries we would contribute to a more peaceful world. This should be based on having pre-established agreements between nations regarding the fair and equitable distribution or temporary deployment of labour resources, particularly those crucial to the military and related industries of the conflicting parties. The concept of a strike merits consideration as a democratic tool, wherein workers relocate centralized because of disagreement with their country’s policies. It necessitates clarification to ensure non-interference in the internal affairs of nations and to consider industry-specific factors (e.g., continuous production cycles).