Challenges to Statutory Rights of Labors of MNEs and Its Countermeasures in the Context of COVID-19

Abstract

The protection of workers’ rights has always been a topic of concern, especially in the era of COVID-19, when labor-management relations have sparked new social conflicts. This paper introduces and analyzes the existing problems, causes, solutions, and suggestions for the infringement of labor’s human rights in multinational enterprises (MNEs). Due to the sudden attack of the epidemic, some multinational companies’ orders are reduced owing to the restrictions on logistics, transportation, and blockade, and the companies’ upper classes lay off grassroots staff, causing the social unemployment rate to rise sharply. Before the mature emergency treatment of infectious diseases, a large amount of leadership of multinational companies lacks the awareness of infectious disease prevention and control plans, which do not limit employees gathering or peak dining and issue labor safety supplies. The negligence is to create the working environment of relatively sufficient infection for employees, violating the worker’s rights of life and health. At the same time, despite the huge number of unemployed populations due to the epidemic, workers in some industries become more burdened with work and bear great physical and psychological pressure on the contrary. As COVID-19 has created a huge demand for medical resources, medical technology multinationals are increasingly squeezing their employees to increase production volume. There are many reasons for these problems, such as a single approach to human rights protection, an unbalanced employment structure, unclear monitoring subjects, etc. This paper uses case study, data collection, and comparative research to analyze the existing problems faced by the enterprises. Based on this, the article has put forward suggestions for companies, including strengthening self-management, expanding the scope of human rights protection, the state upgrading the industrial structure, and legislators to further improve the system of protecting workers’ rights.