21m in forced labour, says ILO

About 21 million women, men and children are forced to work under inhuman conditions on farms, in sweatshops, on board fishing vessels, in the sex industry or in private homes, with their sweat generating $150 billion in illegal profits annually, Director General, International Labour Organisation, Guy Ryder, has said.Ryder, who gave the startling statistics in a statement marking this years World Day of Social Justice, insisted that there should be no excuse, that forced labour can be stopped.World Day of Social Justice should galvanise action against poverty and social exclusion. Work done in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignitydecent workis a key to inclusion and it is a conduit of social justice.Yet the global situation gives cause for grave concern. The economic gap continues to widen, with the richest 10 per cent earning 30 to 40 per cent of total income while the poorest 10 per cent earn between two and seven per cent.In 2013, 939 million workers26.7 per cent of total employment, were still coping on $2 a day or less. Millions of young people facing a future of unemployment or working poverty are losing hope in promises of economic and social progress, Ryder said.He lamented that women and children are particularly at risk of being abducted and sold into slavery in times of violent conflict, stressing that in some instances, forced labour keeps entire families and communities in abject poverty for generations.Ending forced labour calls for integrated approaches. Governments, employers and their organisations, trade unions and civil society organisations, each have a role to play in protecting, defending and empowering those who are vulnerable, as well as creating opportunities for decent work for all, he said.The post 21m in forced labour, says ILO appeared first on The Nation.]]>
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