1. Each Party shall ensure that its labour law and practices embody and provide protection for the fundamental principles and rights at work which are listed below. The Parties affirm their commitment to respect, promote and realise those principles and rights in accordance with the obligations of the members of the International Labour Organization (the “ILO”) and the commitments under the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up of 1998 adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 86th Session:
     (a) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
     (b) the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour;
     (c) the effective abolition of child labour; and       (d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

2. Each Party shall ensure that its labour law and practices promote the following objectives included in the ILO Decent Work Agenda, and in accordance with the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization of 2008 adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 97th Session, and other international commitments:
     (a) health and safety at work, including the prevention of occupational injury or illness and compensation in cases of such injury or illness;
     (b) establishment of acceptable minimum employment standards for wage earners, including those not covered by a collective agreement; and,
     (c) non-discrimination in respect of working conditions, including for migrant workers.

3. Pursuant to sub-paragraph 2(a), each Party shall ensure that its labour law and practices embody and provide protection for working conditions that respect the health and safety of workers, including by formulating policies that promote basic principles aimed at preventing accidents and injuries that arise out of or in the course of work, and that are aimed at developing a preventative safety and health culture where the principle of prevention is accorded the highest priority. When preparing and implementing measures aimed at health protection and safety at work, each Party shall take into account existing relevant scientific and technical information and related international standards, guidelines or recommendations, if the measures may affect trade or investment between the Parties. The Parties acknowledge that in case of existing or potential hazards or conditions that could reasonably be expected to cause injury or illness to a person, a Party shall not use the lack of full scientific certainty as a reason to postpone cost-effective protective measures.

4. Each Party reaffirms its commitment to effectively implement in its law and practices in its whole territory the fundamental ILO Conventions that Canada and the Member States of the European Union have ratified respectively. The Parties shall make continued and sustained efforts to ratify the fundamental ILO Conventions if they have not yet done so. The Parties shall exchange information on their respective situations and advances regarding the ratification of the fundamental as well as priority and other ILO Conventions that are classified as up to date by the ILO.