Forced labour - an introduction
Below are select introductory materials on business and forced labour. Further reports from a wide range of sources are in the "Forced labour" section of our site.
- Key international standards
- Key reports & guidance
- Concerns, company responses & non-responses
- Positive steps by companies
- Lawsuits regarding forced labour
Key international standards
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: articles 4, 23.1
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: article 8
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: article 6.1
International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 29: Convention Concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour
ILO Convention 105: Convention Concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour
ILO Convention 182: Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
ILO Declaration on Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work: article 2
Slavery, Servitude, Forced Labour and Similar Institutions and Practices Convention of 1926
Key reports & guidance
The Human Rights and Business Pages: Forced Labour [PDF], Amnesty Intl. Netherlands, Feb 2006
Combating forced labour: A handbook for employers and business, ILO, 2008
Forced labour, UN Global Compact - Human Rights Dilemmas Forum
Why Is Forced Labour My Business?, Anti-Slavery Intl.
IOE/ILO Regional Workshop on addressing forced labour: the role of employers' organizations and business, and related materials, Bangkok, 30 Jun- 1 Jul 2008
The Secret World of Modern Slavery [PDF], Michael Smith & David Voreacos, Bloomberg Markets, Dec 2006
Concerns, company responses & non-responses
The Resource Centre invites companies to respond to allegations of misconduct. Below are examples of allegations and company responses regarding forced labour. We also indicate when a company has not responded.
Burma: Tiffany resumes buying gems mined in Burma, Professional Jeweller magazine reports, Feb 2005. Response from Tiffany. [following our Update it re-imposed the moratorium on gemstones from Burma]
Papua New Guinea: Dangerous working conditions and sub-standard housing for loggers, according to PNG MP & Labour Department official, Mar 2006. Response from Rimbunan Hijau.
Related stories and components
Junta Gas Profits Stashed in Singapore Banks: ERI
Author: Simon Roughneen, Irrawaddy [Thailand]
...[On] Thursday, Earthrights International (ERI) launched two reports alleging that...Total and Chevron are linked to “forced labor, killings, high-level corruption and authoritarianism” in Burma. The reports...examine how revenue from the Yadana gas...
- Related stories: Burma: Two EarthRights reports accuse Chevron & Total's Yadana pipeline of links to forced labour & killings, undermining sanctions; also cites banks OCBC, DBS
- Related in-depth areas: Chinese Investment Overseas Extractives, including oil and mines Finance Forced labour - an introduction Labour issues Southeast Asia
- Related companies: Chevron DBS Bank OCBC Bank PTT PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP, part of PTT) Total
LexisNexis joins fight against human trafficking [USA]
Author: Dayton Daily News [USA]
The LexisNexis Risk & Information Analytics Group worked with an anti-trafficking organization to create a national database in the fight against human trafficking, the company said today. The company worked with Polaris Project to develop a Web...
- Related in-depth areas: Forced labour - an introduction
Author: ComunicaRSE
Una campaña que cuenta con el apoyo de las principales entidades dedicadas a la gestión de fondos de inversión del mundo, luchará contra el trabajo forzado en Brasil…a través de actuaciones informativas...sobre el impacto de esta práctica en su...
- Related in-depth areas: Forced labour - an introduction
- Related companies: Banco Real (part of Santander) HSBC Itaú Unibanco
Yahoo-Sponsored Chinese Human Rights Museum Opens in Washington
Author: Geoffrey A. Fowler, China Journal Blog, Wall Street Journal
On Wednesday, the Laogai Museum will open on M Street in Washington, D.C. Run by expatriate Chinese dissident Harry Wu, the museum documents forced labor camps called laogai through photographs, government papers and prisoner uniforms.…The museum is...
- Related stories: Yahoo! lawsuit (re China)
- Related in-depth areas: Forced labour - an introduction
- Related companies: Yahoo!
Human Trafficking and Abusive Conditions at the Mediterranean Garments Factory in the Ad Dulayl Industrial Zone in Jordan
Author: National Labor Committee [USA]
There are approximately 1,400 guest workers at the Mediterranean factory—from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India…The workers sew clothing for Wal-Mart…and Hanes…60 percent…have been stripped of their passports…When workers dare to challenge the...
- Related stories: Jordan: Human trafficking & wide range of abuses at Mediterranean Resources, according to National Labor Committee - supplies Hanesbrands, Wal-Mart
- Related in-depth areas: Forced labour - an introduction
- Related companies: Hanes (part of Hanesbrands) Hanesbrands Walmart
Child bondage continues in Indian cotton supply chain
Author: India Committee of the Netherlands
More than 416.000 children under the age of 18, of which almost 225.000 younger than 14, are involved in (often bonded) child labour in India’s cottonseed fields. Most of them are girls. They work in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka...
- Related stories: Over 400,000 children working in cottonseed fields, often bonded labour.
- Related in-depth areas: Alleged abuses Case examples Child labour - an introduction Forced labour - an introduction
- Related companies: Bayer Monsanto
CVRD Won't Sell Iron Ore to Producers That Allow Slave Labor [Brazil]
Author: Michael Smith & David Voreacos, Bloomberg
Cia. Vale do Rio Doce [CVRD], the world's largest iron ore producer, said it would stop selling ore to pig iron companies suspected of using materials made by slaves in Brazil. “I am not interested in supplying anyone who doesn’t respect the law,” Cia...
- Related in-depth areas: Forced labour - an introduction
- Related companies: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (now Vale) Cosipar (Companhia Siderurgica do Pará) DaimlerChrysler (now Daimler) Ford General Motors Kohler Nissan ThyssenKrupp Toyota
[PDF] Human trafficking and Manpower
Author: Richard Welford, CSR Asia
...David Arkless, Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs from Manpower...began his talk with the story of a 12-year-old girl...who was brought to India from Nepal...[and] forced...into a New Delhi brothel...These sorts of stories are not uncommon...
- Related in-depth areas: Forced labour - an introduction
- Related companies: ManpowerGroup
Bolivian Community Divided Over Sweatshops [Argentina]
Author: Marcela Valente, IPS
The Buenos Aires city government's new offensive against slave labour has resulted in the closure of 30 clandestine textile sweatshops in the Argentine capital...Minister...Rodríguez said that 30 out of 54 workshops inspected this week were closed,...
- Related stories: Bolivian Community Divided Over Sweatshops [Argentina] Sweatshop labour lawsuit (re Bolivian migrant workers in Argentina)
- Related in-depth areas: Forced labour - an introduction
- Related companies: Montagne
Tiffany Says No to Burma's "Blood Gems" - Activists Hail "Principled Position" of World's Most Famous Jeweler, Call for Americans to Boycott Companies Selling Burmese Gems
Author: US Campaign for Burma
"Tiffany's deserves our praise and patronage for...[refusing to sell gems mined in Burma]," said Aung Din, co-founder of USCB who spent over 4 years behind bars as a political prisoner. "Mining in Burma supports the ruling dictators while bleeding...
- Related stories: Tiffany decides not to sell gems mined in Burma - activists call for US boycott of companies selling them
- Related in-depth areas: Forced labour - an introduction
- Related companies: Federated Department Stores (now Macy's) Jones Group Kenneth Cole Tiffany Tommy Hilfiger (part of Phillips-Van Heusen)