I remember one particularly bad factory in China. It produced outdoor tables, parasols, and gazebos, and the place was a mess. Work floors were so crowded with production materials that I could barely make my way from one end to the other. In one area, where metals were being chemically treated, workers squatted at the edge of steaming pools as if contemplating a sudden, final swim. The dormitories were filthy: the hallways were strewn with garbage—orange peels, tea leaves—and the only way for anyone to bathe was to fill a bucket with cold water. In a country where workers normally suppress their complaints for fear of getting fired, employees at this factory couldn’t resist telling us the truth. “We work so hard for so little pay,” said one middle-aged woman with undisguised anger. We could only guess how hard—the place kept no time cards. Painted in large characters on the factory walls was a slogan: “If you don’t work hard today, look hard for work tomorrow.” Inspirational, in a way.
Guest Editors: Jennifer Musto and Mitali Thakor Deadline for Submissions: 8 May 2019 The Anti-Trafficking Review calls for papers for a special issue themed 'Technology, Anti-Trafficking, and Speculative Futures'. In t...Read More
Forced labor is a feature, not a bug, in today’s global economic system. Forced labor spans the globe. It involves multinational corporations. It is found in special economic zones—and war zones. And it is in everyone’s backyard. Globally, 27....Read More
The forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill, announced in the 2022 Queen’s Speech, presents a significant opportunity for the UK Government to implement its outstanding commitments in relation to strengthening Transparency in Supply Chains (TISC) provisio...Read More
Gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) has been well documented in fashion supply chains for decades. Despite this, the realities for women garment workers – who toil to make the clothes in our closets – has remained largely unchanged. T...Read More
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