Features

2012

1. 

   Article

   Behind the figures: Faces of forced labour

   01 June 2012

   Forced labour affects all regions and many different sectors, thus taking different faces, including bonded labour, degrading working conditions, trafficking, abuse of vulnerability. However, with a sustained commitment and resources, it is possible to combat forced labour.

2009

1. 

   Forced labour

   From labour exploitation to forced labour: a fine line

   11 May 2009

   Forced labour is a crime that requires severe punishment. But clear guidance is needed, to determine the often thin dividing line between labour exploitation and forced labour. Zambia is one of the African countries to have taken steps both to understand the problems through research and to instigate measures to combat them. The case illustrates some of the dilemmas.

2. 

   Forced Labour

   Questions and answers on “The cost of coercion"

   11 May 2009

   A new ILO report on forced labour entitled “The cost of coercion” says that victims of forced labour lose an estimated USD 20 billion ever year in unpaid earnings. This and other findings provide a powerful economic argument for stepping up global action against forced labour. ILO Online spoke with Roger Plant, head of the ILO’s Special Action Programme to combat Forced Labour.

2008

1. 

   Article

   Forced labour in Brazil: 120 years after the abolition of slavery, the fight goes on

   13 May 2008

   On May 13th 1888, Brazil became the last nation in the Western Hemisphere to formally abolish slavery. One-hundred and twenty years later, it is estimated that 25,000 to 40,000 workers are still victims of conditions analogous to slavery in this South American country. The problem is particularly serious in the northern agricultural states, where widespread poverty and the vast distances make it very difficult to detect violations. However, with the guidance of the ILO and the help of employers, the Brazilian government is gradually turning the situation around. ILO Online reports from Brazil.

2. 

   Article

   Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking, 13-15 February 2008 - Passport wanted: combating human trafficking and forced labour

   12 February 2008

   The biggest ever international conference on human trafficking represents a unique opportunity to forge a global alliance against this form of modern slavery. At least 2.4 million people are victims of trafficking for the purpose of forced labour around the world generating an estimated US$32 billion in annual profits. A recent study by the ILO and the Portuguese Government shows how the search for a better life can lead to labour exploitation and human trafficking of people in both developing and developed countries.

2006

1. Article

   Final whistle to human trafficking and sexual exploitation

   15 June 2006

   As the football World Cup 2006 gets underway, a German NGO has launched a campaign against human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation. According to German police sources, fears that the number of women trafficked for sex work during the games might go into the tens of thousands have failed to materialize.

2. 

   Article

   Regional Meeting for the Americas 2-5 May - Forced labour in Latin America: Fighting impunity

   02 May 2006

   In Latin America, 1.3 million people are victims of forced labour, representing more than 10 per cent of forced labourers worldwide. According to the report prepared for the ILO Regional Meeting for the Americas, despite this high number it is possible to drastically reduce forced labour over the next 10 years if there is a will to do so. ILO Online reports from Brazil.