Standards & rights at work:
Discrimination - targeting migrant workers and women

Of all the manufacturing industries, the TCF industries are among those that create the highest percentage of unskilled jobs. They have a poor image among young people and many enterprises throughout the world experience difficulties in hiring workers. As a result, in many countries TCF enterprises operate with a high proportion of immigrant workers. Another element which characterizes the structure of the workforce of TCF industries is the high proportion of women workers. These factors create an environment that might be conducive to discriminatory practices in matters of employment and occupation. For women, the main form of discrimination is inequality in wages. With regard to access to and progression in employment, women sometimes suffer non-explicit discrimination. However, in many countries, women are increasingly taking up supervisory and managerial posts at all levels. Women may also suffer various types of harassment, including sexual harassment. Immigrant workers, with different cultural backgrounds and often confronted by a language barrier, also suffer from discriminatory practices in the sector.