DECENT WORK AND FORCED LABOR

A common misunderstanding of forced labor is they had to be forced to work. However, in reality people who are newly employed have the freedom to agree and to take up the work they chose and only once they started working they discovered that they were deceived about the conditions or the nature of the work, and that newly employed people are not free to leave their jobs without repercussion.

From perspective of decent work, freedom of choice means that workers possesses bargaining power and is able to negotiate with employer about the terms and conditions of employment without facing any punishment. In the situation of forced labor the power of employer to impose certain condition and rules is ABSOLUTE and the worker is unable to refuse without facing any kind of punishment.

Forced labor needs to be addressed through a multi-layered approach that joins labor and criminal justice responses and integrates the aspect of protection of human and labor rights into policy and practice.

People affected by forced labor should be seen as workers, active players in the labor market, rather than passive victims. Workers that are vulnerable to forced labor should be empowered to act and supported by institutions through which they can claim their rights by lodging complaints.

Those who inspect workplaces should be empowered: Labor inspection should be extended and the mandate should include investigation and prosecution of forced labor. This should also include 31 the extension of the remit of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority and its mandate to prosecute forced labor.

Source:

http://www.gla.gov.uk/media/1585/jrf-between-decent-work-and-forced-labour.pdf