Forced Labour
Forced Labour
In 2024 several countries and companies have used forced labour across various industries:
China: The Chinese government continued to challenge Uyghurs and other Muslim smaller groups in the Xinjiang Uyghurs Autonomous Region XUAR (Chinese autonomous region) the Chinese government enforced forced labour in the region. Major brands, including car manufacturers such as Tesla, BYD (car brand), Toyota and Volkswagen were seen taking benefit of Uyghurs forced labour distribution chain.
Indonesia: Indonesian fishers faced mistreatment on foreign ships, particularly the ones owned by Chinese and Taiwanese companies. Reports highlighted harsh conditions, physical violence, inadequate food and medical care and restriction on movements and communication. The tragic death of the crew member on top of a tuna boat in the Indian ocean showed the severity of the situation.
Brazil: In December 2024 Brazilian authorities underlined horrendous and slave-like conditions in a construction site of BYD involving 163 Chinese workers in Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil. The conditions reported were excessive working hours without proper breaks, small and not regular wage, and confiscation of passports.
North Korea: North Korean migrant workers are continuing facing harsh conditions abroad, especially in China and Russia. The foreign governments kept the most part of the workers, leaving the workers with minimal wages.
In 2024, a lot of big developments have happened globally that concern forced labour.
European Union: In November 2024 made a law which concerns forced labour, not letting products made with forced labour pass the EU border or exit the EU border. In chase that a product that is made with forced labour passes the frontier and will get fined.
In History
The most diffused type of slavery in history was productive slavery. It was mainly used in the ancient Greece and in the Roman Empire it came back during the Middle Ages more specifically in the 9th centaury in Iraq. After that it didn't exist until the discovery of the Americas, so the Europeans started abusing the Americans.
LABOUR RIGHTS VIOLATION
WHAT ARE THEY
The most common problem in the agricultural sector are that there are no regular wages and even that workers do not have living rights. The pay that workers in the agricultural sector receive is not enough for a family to have a decent life quality which is an important human right.
EXAMPLE
Unfair wages and pay: Workers may not receive fair wages, and the wages could not be continuous.
Child Labour: The employment of children in jobs which are not inappropriate and could harm the children's safety.
Forced Labour: The workers work under violent conditions and have restricted freedom and work in conditions inappropriate for the workers mental health.
Unsafe working conditions: The bosses fail to provide secure environment, resulting in accidents, injuries or health problems.
Discrimination: Workers may be discriminated because of nationality, race, religion or gender
Excessive working hours: Workers may work more that the limit of hours established and may not have proper breaks.
Violation of leave Rights: Workers may not be able to have sick leaves, vacations or leaves which are needed.
These violations could happen in industries, agriculture, construction and service sectors. They mostly happen in developing countries, but they can occur everywhere.
CONCENTRATION CAMPS
Concentration camps are characterized:
Forced labour and restricted freedom.
Inappropriate food.
Poor working conditions.
Mental and physical mistreatment.
There could be torture and horrendous working conditions.
HISTORICAL EXAMPLES
Nazi Germany (1933 – 1945): This is the most common example of the use of concentration camps which happened during WW2. The nazis established where lots of Jewish people along with disabled people and political prisoners were tortured and killed.
Marked camps: Auschwitz, Dachau, Treblinka, Buchenwald, and many others.
Boer war (1899- 1902): In South Africa, the British used concentration camps to imprison South African civilians, the victims of these war were South Africans including women and children. The conditions inside these camps were poor hygiene, inadequate food, and lots of deaths due to poor health care and malnutrition.
Soviet Union (1920s- 1950s): Stalin's regime used concentration camps called Gulags, were lots of criminals and enemies of the state were imprisoned. The conditions in these camps were terrible, leading to millions of deaths.