BUSINESSES SHOULD UPHOLD THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF FORCED AND CUMPULSORY LABOUR.

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What can companies do?

Organizations need to determine whether forced labour is a problem within their business sector and for their operations. It is important to mention that, although high profile cases are typically reported as occurring in developing countries, forced labour is also present in developed countries and should be viewed as a global issue. Understanding the causes of forced labour is the first step towards taking action against forced labour. Where forced labour is identified, the concerned individuals should be removed from work and facilities and services should be provided to enable them to make adequate alternatives. In general, a comprehensive set of interventions, including both workplace and community actions, is needed to help ensure the eradication of forced labour practices.

Here are some actions that companies can take:

In the workplace

• Have a clear policy not to use, be complicit in, or benefit from forced labour;
• Where adherence to forced labour provisions of national laws and regulations is insufficient, take account of international standards;
• Ensure that all company officials have a full understanding of what forced labour is;
• Make available employment contracts to all employees stating the terms and conditions of service, the voluntary nature of employment, the freedom to leave (including the appropriate procedures) and any penalties that may be associated with a departure or cessation of work;
• Do not confiscate workers’ identity documents;
• Prohibit business partners from charging recruitment fees to workers;
• Write employment contracts in languages easily understood by workers, indicating the scope of and procedures for leaving the job;
• Be aware of countries, regions, industries, sectors, or economic activities where forced labour is more likely to be a practice;
• In planning and conducting business operations, ensure that workers in debt bondage or in other forms of forced labour are not engaged and, where found, provide for the removal of such workers from the workplace with adequate services and provision of viable alternatives;
• Institute policies and procedures to prohibit the requirement that workers lodge financial deposits with the company;
• If hiring prisoners for work in or outside prisons, ensure that their terms and conditions of work are similar to those of a free employment relationship in the sector involved, and that they have given their consent to work for a private employer;·
• Ensure that large-scale development operations do not rely on forced labour in any phase; and
• Carefully monitor supply chains and subcontracting arrangements.

In the community of operation

• Establish or participate in a task force or committee on forced labour in your representative employers’ organization at the local, state or national level;
• Work in partnership with other companies, sectoral associations and employers’ organizations to develop an industry-wide approach to address the issue, and build bridges with trade unions, law enforcement authorities, labour inspectorates and others;
• Support and help design education, vocational training, and counseling programmes for children removed from situations of forced labour;
• Help develop skills training and income-generating alternatives, including micro-credit financing programmes, for adults removed from situations of forced labour;
• Encourage supplementary health and nutrition programmes for workers removed from dangerous forced labour, and provide medical care to assist those affected by occupational diseases and malnutrition as a result of their involuntary work; and
• Where use is made of prison labour, ensure that the terms and conditions of work are beneficial to the prisoners (particularly with regard to occupational health and safety), and that they have given consent to work for a private employer.

 

(Source: Principle 4)