The United Nations' top court will issue an advisory opinion on the right to strike
Source: AP
By MOLLY QUELL
Updated 12:05 AM CDT, May 21, 2026
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations’ top court is set Thursday to issue a landmark advisory opinion on the right to strike, clarifying whether employees are lawfully allowed to walk off the job.
The 15 judges at the International Court of Justice were asked in 2023 by the International Labor Organization, a U.N. agency, to settle an internal dispute over whether one of the ILO’s conventions gives workers the right to strike.
The convention has been ratified by 158 countries and is incorporated into U.N. labor standards, guidelines from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and international trade agreements. The United States is a member of the ILO, but hasn’t ratified the convention.
Advisory opinions aren’t legally binding but carry significant weight and the decision could have a worldwide impact on labor regulations.
Exterior view of the Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/world-court-right-to-strike-advisory-opinion-2199bbe1e530194e2af103de87e23380