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.
Labour rights are deteriorating in Bangladesh, despite government promises to commit to an International Labour Organization (ILO) road map for reform. While the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a period of crisis for workers, the p...Read More
Launch of the OSCE and Tech Against Trafficking publication Leveraging innovation to fight trafficking in human beings: A comprehensive analysis of technology tools 24 June 2020 16:30-17:30 CEST | 7:30-8:30 PST | 10:30-11:30 EST via Zoom Description The intersection of...
Over the course of the last five years, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government has embarked on a campaign of repression that nine governments have determined to be either “genocide” or “crimes against humanity.” The PRC has furthe...Read More
Russia’s war on Ukraine has rendered an unprecedented scale of forced displacement, primarily of women and children. Since 24th February 2022, it is estimated that seven million have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries. As of 1 st November 2022...Read More
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