E/C.12/GC/23 E. Obligations of non-State actors 74. While only States are parties to the Covenant, business enterprises, trade unions and all members of society have responsibilities to realize the right to just and favourable conditions of work. This is particularly important in the case of occupational safety and health, given that the employer’s responsibility for the safety and health of workers is a basic principle of labour law, intrinsically related to the employment contract, but it also applies to other elements of the right to just and favourable conditions of work. 75. Business enterprises, irrespective of size, sector, ownership and structure, 54 should comply with laws that are consistent with the Covenant and have a responsibility to respect the right to just and favourable conditions of work,55 avoiding any infringements and addressing any abuse of the right as a result of their actions. In situations in which a business enterprise has caused or contributed to adverse impacts, the enterprise should remedy the damage or cooperate in its remediation through legitimate processes that meet recognized standards of due process.56 76. The role of United Nations agencies and programmes, in particular ILO, is also important. In conformity with articles 22 and 23 of the Covenant, ILO and other United Nations specialized agencies, the World Bank, regional development banks, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization and other relevant bodies, as well as the United Nations Secretariat, including OHCHR, should cooperate effectively with States parties in the implementation of the right to just and favourable conditions of work. When examining State party reports, the Committee will consider the effects of any request for assistance by the State party concerning the enjoyment of the right, as well as the response given. IV. Violations and remedies 77. States parties must demonstrate that they have taken all steps necessary towards the realization of the right within their maximum available resources, that the right is enjoyed without discrimination and that women enjoy conditions of work not inferior to men, as well as equal pay for equal work and for work of equal value. A failure to take such steps amounts to a violation of the Covenant. In assessing whether States parties have complied with their obligation to take such steps, the Committee examines whether steps taken are reasonable and proportionate and whether they comply with human rights standards and democratic principles. 78. Violations of the right to just and favourable conditions of work can occur through acts of commission, which means direct actions of States parties. Adoption of labour migration policies that increase the vulnerability of migrant workers to exploitation, failure to prevent unfair dismissal from work of pregnant workers in public service, and introduction of deliberately retrogressive measures that are incompatible with core obligations are all examples of such violations. 79. Violations can also occur through acts of omission, which means the failure by a State party to take reasonable steps to fully realize the right for everyone, for example by failing to enforce relevant laws and implement adequate policies, or to regulate the activities of individuals and groups to prevent them from violating the right, or to take into 54 55 56 20 See Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, principle 14. Ibid., principles 11, 12 and 23. Ibid., principle 22.