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.
It is estimated that there are 17.2 million child domestic workers globally, most of whom are girls (International Labor Organization (ILO), 2013; ILO, n.d.). Despite their large numbers, research related to this marginalised group is extremely limi...Read More
No country in the world is immune to the devastating impacts of modern slavery and human trafficking. Representing one of the world’s most profitable criminal enterprises, it generates some USD 150 billion per year. Addressing the financial angle...Read More
Since the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in 2011, corporate respect for human rights has become an expected standard of conduct for businesses, discharged primarily through the process of human rights due ...Read More
In June 2018, a coalition of global tech companies, civil society organizations, and international institutions jointly launched Tech Against Trafficking (TAT) https://techagainsttrafficking.org, a collaborative effort to support the eradication of ...Read More
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