Slavery In Our Times 17 March 2008 - Human trafficking is not just a problem for other communities or other people. It exists on our own doorsteps, and our lack of action shames us all. It's hard to put an accurate figure on the full scale of this misery. But the International Labor Organization estimates that there are at least 2.5 million forced laborers who are victims of human trafficking at any one time. Their plight can be seen as the hidden side of globalization: a sickening business worth more than $30 billion a year.
Uzbeks Prey to Modern Slave Trade 04 March 2008 - As poverty and unemployment drive an increasing number of workers abroad, many become victims of traffickers who sell them into virtual slavery. These “potential slaves” constitute the least well-informed group of migrants, and consequently the least able to defend their legal rights. But for the moment, there is little sign they are heeding warnings that they are placing themselves at risk by entrusting their future to the wrong people.
February 2008
ILO's workshops at the UN.GIFT Vienna Forum - [pdf 166 KB] 12 February 2008 - The UN.GIFT Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking will take place in Vienna, Austria, 13-15 February 2008, to raise awareness about human trafficking. ...
January 2008
ITUC and ETUC Welcome European Convention Against Human Trafficking 30 January 2008 - The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) have welcomed the entry into force of the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. The Convention becomes legally binding on the first ten countries to have ratified it (Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Georgia, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia), on 1 February, with Bosnia-Herzegovina, France and Norway following on 1 May. Most European countries have taken the first steps to ratify the Convention, with the UK having already announced its intention to complete the ratification by the end of 2008. “We are encouraging our member organisations in Europe to push their governments to ratify this Convention and to make sure it is fully enforced. The criminal gangs and the recruiters who organise this trade in human beings must be stopped and punished, and the factors which make people vulnerable to this exploitation must be dealt with. Our global alliance against forced labour and trafficking will mobilise increased trade union action around the world against this form of modern-day slavery.”, said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder.
Two new publications in Chinese! 28 January 2008 - Two publications have just been translated into Chinese:
a training manual "Trafficking for forced labour – how to monitor the recruitment of migrant workers", and some legal guidelines "Human trafficking and forced labour exploitation - guidance for legislation and law enforcement". More information under Information Ressources section.
Towards a Global Trade Union Alliance against Forced Labour and Trafficking 15 January 2008 - At its last session (12-14 December 2007), the ITUC General Council endorsed a plan of action for future trade union activities in the areas of forced labour and trafficking. This decision was an essential step in the
establishment of a Global Trade Union Alliance against Forced Labour and Trafficking, a process initiated in April 2007. More specifically the General Council approved the action points listed hereunder and “urged all affiliates to integrate them into their work programmes as appropriate in their national circumstances”.
UK High-Level Conference to Examine the Links between Poverty, Slavery and Social Exclusion - [pdf 200 KB] 31 October 2007 - Why should development and donor agencies, whose major concern tends to be poverty reduction, specifically address such concerns as forced labour, slavery and slavery-like practices? And if they can be persuaded to do so together with their multiple other concerns, what can they best do in practice? This paper throws out some thoughts on both these two points, and aims to map out some kind of deve ...