18/09/2024

Myanmar, Mauritius flagged for forced labor violations

While Vietnam clothing has been removed from the U.S Department of Labor annual list of products associated with forced and indentured child labor, garments from Mauritius and Myanmar have been ticked off on the same list, specifically for their use of forced labor.

Myanmar, referred to as Burma by the Department of Labor, was included due to the increasing severity of the military regime’s human and labor rights abuses. These include the torture and deaths of trade union leaders.

According to the Department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), research indicates that forced labor, particularly among women garment workers, has become more prevalent since the 2021 coup. Many of these workers are subjected to unpaid overtime, under constant threats of fines, job loss, physical violence, and verbal harassment.

As ILAB reports, forced labor, particularly among women garment workers in Myanmar, has become more prevalent since the 2021 coup - Photo by Pyae Sone Htun on Unsplash

Mauritius was flagged for its ongoing migrant-worker exploitation problems. According to the report, migrant workers are often charged illegal recruitment fees that plunge them into debt. They are also often misled about employment conditions. In particular, despite being promised free food and lodging, workers often find their wages deducted, and their passports revoked; some are forced to live in overcrowded, poorly ventilated dormitories, likely infested with insects.

Although Uzbekistan was removed from the forced labor risk list in 2022, numerous other countries still face scrutiny for child labor, forced labor, or both in various industries, including footwear, garments, textiles, cotton, and leather. Cotton garments, textiles, and thread from China continue to dominate the Department of Labor’s list, as do products from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Zambia, and Uzbekistan.

“Reports indicate that workers may not be free to leave their workplace or accommodation and may be coerced into working mandatory overtime,” the Department noted. Employers in these sectors have been known to intimidate workers or threaten them with deportation if they question their pay or make complaints.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 28 million people, including men, women, and children from all over the world and across various economic sectors, are trapped in some form of forced labor today, 63 percent of which occur in the private economy.

At a recent event in Washington, D.C., Thea Lee, deputy undersecretary for international affairs at the Department of Labor, emphasized the responsibility that companies bear in addressing labor exploitation.

“Companies have a moral and legal duty to safeguard their supply chains from child labor, forced labor, and other exploitative practices,” Lee stated.

She added that while large global businesses have the resources and knowledge to solve these problems, those at the bottom of the supply chain—such as farmers, miners, and workers—are often less equipped to effect change.