Labour Exploitation Research Articles

Re-politicising Anti-Trafficking: Migration, labour, and the war in Ukraine

Drawing on multi-method research, this article demonstrates that the risks of large-scale trafficking due to the war in Ukraine were mitigated by granting Ukrainians more extensive rights than typically afforded to refugees. This shows the advantages of rights-based approaches to migration and labour exploitation. We draw on Bakhtin’s and Žižek’s work on the carnivalesque to argue that mainstream anti-trafficking initiatives—which are depoliticised and able to win support and funding from across the political spectrum—often serve merely as theatrical and distracting sideshows diverting attention from more impactful activities and the normalised exploitation within capitalism. However, avoiding trafficking is insufficient if Ukrainian citizens and residents still endure exploitative conditions. A weakened legal framework for workers’ rights within Ukraine alongside inadequate labour protections across Europe have facilitated such exploitation. In contrast to the depoliticised stance of the anti-trafficking industry, this article concludes that more explicitly political actions supporting migrants’ rights, workers’ rights, and access to welfare and public services will not only more effectively challenge trafficking but also prevent other exploitation of migrants.

A Look at Human Trafficking and the Anti-Trafficking Apparatus in Mexico through the Experience of Victoria, a Trans Woman

In this article, we discuss the experience of Victoria, a trans woman who was trafficked in the context of the criminal war in Mexico. Drawing on anthropological and feminist perspectives that privilege the dialogue of knowledge, Victoria’s experience allows us to problematise two central elements of the phenomenon of human trafficking in Mexico: first, the relationship between organised crime groups and human trafficking, and its effects on daily life in local contexts in Mexico, specifically in the experience of a trans woman. And second, the functioning of the Mexican anti-trafficking apparatus which, by focusing on the rescue of victims of sexual exploitation in places where independent sex work occurs, overlooks the identification of other forms of trafficking, such as trafficking for labour exploitation and servitude, both experienced by Victoria at the hands of organised crime groups.

Driving Factors for Consumers Behaviour to Buy Slow Fashion

The fashion industry plays a significant role in the global economy but is also a major contributor to environmental and ethical issues. Fast fashion has been dominant but has brought about various sustainability challenges and ethical considerations, such as labor exploitation and environmental degradation. In response to these issues, the slow fashion movement has emerged, advocating for ethical and sustainable practices in fashion. The present paper aims to identify driving factors for consumer behavior to buy products of slow fashion, using methods of primary marketing research and evaluating results using advanced statistical methods.

Political economy of the ‘agrarian–urban frontier’ in Pakistan: Agrarian transformation, social reproduction and exploitation

AbstractThe paper underscores the need to reconsider the ontological separation between processes of production and reproduction in the context of agrarian‐urban interlinkages. It synthesizes ‘value theory of inclusion’ with a notion of ‘unfair bargaining power’ to offer a new understanding of processes of agrarian change in the context of Pakistan. Expansion of the agrarian–urban frontier, one of the defining characteristics of the contemporary agrarian change in Pakistan, constitutes a crucial yet undertheorized site of value extraction. The paper shows that contemporary processes of capital accumulation rely on the swift conversion of agricultural land into commercial real estate, manifested in the form of gated housing enclaves. This process, on the one hand, accelerates the devalourization of small‐farm‐based production, and on the other hand, it allows affluent residents of gated housing enclaves to extract gendered surplus labour in the form of domestic workers from the growing pool of ‘classes of labour’. In short, the expansion of agrarian–urban frontier is predicated on devalourization of agrarian livelihoods and exploitation of women's labour.

Precarious Work and Housing for Michigan Farmworkers During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

ABSTRACT Objectives Farmworkers in Michigan face precarious and exploitative labor conditions that affect their access to affordable, fair, and quality housing, which are key social determinants of health. We sought to assess the health, working conditions, and housing access, affordability, and quality of farmworkers living in and outside of employer-provided housing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a mixed methods cross-sectional study in collaboration with community partners from the Michigan Farmworker Project and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. We assessed housing, labor conditions, and general health through in-depth phone interviews with seasonal, migrant, and H-2A farmworkers (n = 63) during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021) in Michigan. Descriptive analyses of these data included comparisons by type of farmworker and type of housing (employer-provided or other). Results The majority of farmworkers interviewed were women and seasonal farmworkers and spoke primarily Spanish. A significant share of farmworker participants reported living in poverty (38.3%) and had low or very low food security (27.0%). Nearly half of farmworkers (47.6%) rated their health as “fair” or “poor” during the year prior to the interview, and more than a third reported 3 or more chronic conditions (39.6%) and lack of health insurance coverage (38.7%). Among the 43 workers tested, 25.6% reported testing positive for COVID-19. Farmworkers reported experiences of objectification and dehumanization. Three-quarters of workers reported feeling that they were treated as less than human by supervisors and one-third reported verbal abuse. Farmworkers also experienced challenges exacerbated by their social vulnerability that impeded them from finding affordable, quality housing. Regarding housing quality, the majority of workers (80.6%) reported one or more environmental hazards around their residence, and about a third reported not having air conditioning (33.%) and lacking a functioning washing machine (33.9%). Concerns about the quality of drinking water accessible to workers and exposure to chemicals were shared by participants. Conclusion This study adds valuable knowledge to the understanding of the systemic barriers to housing and work conditions for female and male seasonal, migrant, and H-2A farmworkers in Michigan. Shortcomings in the regulatory and policy environment result in precarious housing and work conditions, including exploitative labor practices. These conditions negate equality, fairness, and health equity, important tenants for public health.

Consumers preferences and social sustainability: a discrete choice experiment on ‘Quality Agricultural Work’ ethical label in the Italian fruit sector

The Italian legislator has adopted several instruments to discourage undeclared work and exploitative labour in agriculture, mostly of a penal-repressive nature. Among the direct and indirect policy measures, the ‘Quality Agricultural Work Network’ represents an interesting approach to producing a ‘whitelist’ of farmers compliant with labour regulations. A law proposal intends to establish the ‘Quality Agricultural Work’ (QAW) ethical label to incentivise farmers to join the network, to which a limited percentage of farms have signed up. This study aims to investigate consumer preferences for the QAW label in the Italian fruit sector. We conducted a choice experiment on a sample of 324 consumers. Willingness to pay for ethical labels was estimated before and after information treatment was administered to evaluate the prospective effects of promotional and information campaigns. The information treatment conveyed a clear and concise message about the QAW project and its ethical label. The results show that consumers would pay a high price premium for fruit produced under fair working conditions, indicating that there may be a market space for the QAW label. Moreover, consumers perceive environmental and social sustainability claims as complementary contexts where both dimensions of sustainability are relevant.Graphical abstract

International Labor Relations

International Labor Relations (ILR) encapsulates the multifaceted interactions and dynamics shaping the global workforce's landscape. In an increasingly interconnected world, characterized by globalization, technological advancements, and economic interdependence, labor relations extend beyond national boundaries, influencing and being influenced by various factors. This abstract provides a succinct overview of the key themes, challenges, and opportunities within the realm of International Labor Relations. The study of ILR encompasses diverse aspects, including cross-border labor migration, multinational corporations' employment practices, labor standards, and international trade agreements' impact on employment. Central to ILR is the examination of the interactions between governments, employers, workers, and international organizations, as they navigate complex socio-economic and political contexts. Globalization has profoundly shaped ILR, fostering the integration of economies and labor markets across countries. As a result, labor issues increasingly transcend national borders, posing both opportunities and challenges for workers, employers, and policymakers. Technological advancements, such as automation and digitalization, further complicate labor dynamics, influencing employment patterns and skills requirements on a global scale. Challenges within ILR include ensuring decent work conditions, protecting workers' rights, and addressing inequalities in labor markets. Issues such as informal employment, gender disparities, and the informalization of labor pose significant hurdles to achieving inclusive and sustainable growth. Moreover, the rise of global supply chains has raised concerns about labor exploitation and the enforcement of labor standards across borders. International organizations play a crucial role in shaping ILR through the development and implementation of labor standards, conventions, and guidelines. Institutions like the International Labour Organization (ILO) provide platforms for dialogue and cooperation among governments, employers, and workers to address labor-related challenges and promote social justice. In conclusion, International Labor Relations are complex and dynamic, influenced by globalization, technological advancements, and economic forces. Addressing the diverse challenges within ILR requires collaborative efforts from governments, employers, workers, and international organizations to ensure fair and inclusive labor practices and promote sustainable development globally. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

The Impact of Replicas and First-Copy Products on Authentic Products: An Exploration in the Apparel Industry

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of replicas and first copies on authentic products. Replicas and first copy products are unauthorized and are designed to mimic the original products and confuse the customers. Replicas has a great influence on customer’s mind and this has a significant effect on the sales of authentic products. The reason for this is that consumers prefer to pay lesser amount for these replicas than paying premium for the original thing. Therefore, this has led to decrease in revenue of companies that produce these authentic products. However, there has been an argument about this as some of them state that replicas and first copy products would help in generate interest in particular brand and this can serve as a gateway for more expensive and premium purchases in the future. The impact of replicas and first copy products are therefore complicated and multifaceted and it depends on various factors such as consumer behaviour, market strategies and the overall health of the market. The fashion industry grapples with the pervasive issue of replicas and first-copy products, which undermine the authenticity and integrity of apparel brands. This abstract delves into the multifaceted impact of replicas on authentic apparel, considering perspectives from consumers, brands, and ethical considerations. Counterfeit alternatives tempt consumers with discounted prices, eroding brand identity and aspirational value. Brands face threats to intellectual property rights and reputation, while ethical concerns arise from exploitative labor practices and environmental degradation. By exploring motivations, vulnerabilities, and proposing mitigation strategies, this research aims to inform stakeholders and foster solutions in combating the detrimental effects of replicas on the apparel industry. Counterfeit alternatives allure consumers with enticingly discounted prices, thereby undermining the distinctiveness of brand identity and eroding the aspirational value associated with genuine products. Concurrently, brands are confronted with formidable challenges concerning the protection of intellectual property rights and safeguarding their reputation against dilution and imitation. Moreover, ethical dilemmas emerge from the prevalence of exploitative labor practices and environmental degradation inherent in the production of replicas. By delving into the underlying motivations that drive consumer behavior, identifying vulnerabilities within the market, and proposing robust mitigation strategies, this research endeavors to provide valuable insights to stakeholders within the fashion industry. Through an informed understanding of the intricate dynamics at play, it is hoped that this study will catalyze collaborative efforts aimed at combating the detrimental effects of replicas and first copies on the apparel industry.

The Impact of ILO Convention No. 182 (1999) on Safeguarding Against Child Labor in Indonesia

Child labor poses a serious challenge to Indonesia's commitment to children's rights and workplace protection. ILO Convention No. 182 has become a crucial global guideline in combating this issue. Using doctrinal legal research with an analytical descriptive component and includes the comparative approach, the statute approach, and the historical approach. Using secondary data, which included primary, secondary, and tertiary legal material and with library research and examined resources relating to the topics under investigation with qualitative analysis. Before ratification, weak enforcement and inadequate regulations left child workers vulnerable to health risks and exploitation. The ratification marked a pivotal moment, aligning Indonesia's laws with international standards to better safeguard children from exploitative labor practices, emphasizing the urgent need for stronger protections and enforcement measures.

Om allokering av straffansvar vid arbete utan tillstånd

AbstractOn 23 February 2023, a comprehensive reform of the Aliens Act concerning the employment and business activities of foreign nationals entered into force in Finland. The objective of the reform was to increase the authorities’ ability to prevent the exploitation of foreign labour. One of the most significant changes involved the client´s obligations to ensure the right to work for foreign nationals entering and remaining in employment. These changes were prompted by, among other things, problems identified in the regulatory framework concerning the obligations of the employer and the client and the allocation of criminal liability. The article analyses the allocation of liability for offences related to unauthorised work from the perspective of Finnish legislation. It focuses on how criminal liability has been shared and allocated since the comprehensive reform of Chapter 5 of the Aliens Act was implemented in Finland. The article concludes that after the amendments to the Aliens Act, criminal liability will be allocated in the same way and to the same parties, regardless of whether the Criminal Code’s provision on the unauthorised use of foreign labour or the Aliens Act’s employer’s alienage offence applies in the case under consideration. This can reasonably be seen as reducing the problems of apportioning responsibility for unauthorised employment. As regards the concrete attribution of criminal liability, attention must be focused on the circumstances of the act, the employer organisation and the specific person in that organisation. The starting point for allocating criminal liability must be to determine who is responsible for the offence in the first place within the meaning of the applicable provision. It is then necessary to determine who has the authority to hire and retain employees. Finally, criminal liability must be attributed to the person who actually committed the acts in question.

Professional women footballers’ stories of marketing portrayals and sponsorship: “I just had to feel grateful for what I’ve been given”

ABSTRACT In this paper we investigate the marketing portrayal and sponsorship experiences of professional women athletes. Specifically, we examine the perspectives of professional women footballers (i.e. soccer) and the ways in which the gender ideal is reproduced, negotiated, and resisted, as well as their (re)imagined equitable sporting future. Using critical feminist narrative inquiry, twelve interviews were conducted with four professional women footballers. Four themes were constructed that call attention to: 1) the lack of commercial sponsorship that limits career growth; 2) performative partnerships that perpetuate inequities; 3) objectifying women athletes through labour exploitation; and 4) limited agency restricts resistance and transformation potential. The findings challenge the concept of sponsorship “partnerships” and expose an exploitative off-pitch reality for women athletes. This study highlights the need for systemic change in professional football for all women to be perceived as legitimate and worthy of investment.

Is China an imperialist power?

Among the mainstream press, western political elites and sections of the Left, China is accused of exploiting the Global South and even being an imperialist power. China argues it is pursuing a ‘win-win’ policy. To explore this question, this article looks at several factors, including labour exploitation, debt, environmental damage and military activity. Imperialism today operates through a vast network of integrated transnational investments and expansive global assembly lines, overseen by a transnational capitalist class. China’s position in the global capitalist system needs to be assessed in this context. It is certainly a major power within that system and its capitalists engage in the super-exploitation of labour, for example in Africa. At the same time, Chinese development loans have so far helped countries in the Global South build infrastructure and reduce neoliberal austerity, even as associated projects have been beset by corruption and environmental harms. China has not yet used its military in imperialist adventures, but it does apply regional pressure and cultivates military relationships with countries where it has investments. Overall, the picture that emerges is complex and contradictory.

A study on the impact of the degree of mixed ownership reform of state-owned enterprises on corporate environmental response

PurposeThis study aims to explore the relationship between the degree of state-owned enterprises’ (SOEs) mixed reform and the environmental response of enterprises, against the background of actively promoting the reform of mixed ownership in China.Design/methodology/approachThe study is conducted on a sample of A-share listed manufacturing companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen of China, investigated for the period 2015 to 2020. The baseline regression results are robust to a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. To deal with the issue of endogeneity, the technique of instrumental variable method has been applied.FindingsThe study confirms the U-shaped effect of the depth and restriction of mixed ownership on SOEs’ environmentally responsive behaviour in the manufacturing industry, especially for lower environmental regulation and higher level of risk-taking firms. The findings indicate that the government, shareholders and other stakeholders of enterprises should not simply consider that the mixed reform is directly promoting or reducing the environmental response behaviour of enterprises.Practical implicationsSOEs should improve their shareholding structures to undermine performance enhancement at the expense of the environment and increase environmentally beneficial behaviours. Regulators and governments should improve the institutional mechanism of environmental regulation and make efforts to promote corporate awareness of the environment.Social implicationsAlthough the adoption and implementation of environmentally friendly policies are costly, improved environmental response and other social responsibilities are helpful to corporate long-term growth and reputation and obtain more capital market attention. Therefore, firms would benefit from improving their environmental response to protect nature, as well as to enjoy the economic and social benefits of a better environmental response.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is a lack of studies focussing on the environmental behaviour of SOEs of mixed reform. As the mixed reform in China has come to a climax phase in recent several years, SOEs of mixed reform is an ideal environment for research. The study focusses on manufacturing firms as these firms are more susceptible to contribute to environmental pollution, exploitation of natural resources and labour concerns.

Competing Choreographies of the Postcolonial Plantation: Planter’s Pageantry Meets Sistren Collective’s Sweet Sugar Rage

This essay examines the 1985 documentary film, Sweet Sugar Rage (co-directed by Honor Ford-Smith and Harclyde Walcott), and its methodologies of renewable resistance to the enduring choreographies of planter's pageantry in the postcolonial Caribbean. Produced by Jamaica's Sistren Theatre Collective – a radical community theatre group formed in 1977 – the film (the collective's first) documents a set of dramatic interventions focused on women's labour exploitation in Jamaica's sugar cane fields. A series of workshops and plays depicts the historical and current material conditions of cane workers and aims to support participants in the practical navigation of plantation labour. In staging the material conditions of post-independence Jamaican plantation labour, including the gendered hierarchies of union organising, these counter-choreographies of workers' solidarity re-occupy the cane field as a historically dense site of collective resistance. Furthermore, I argue, in their rejection of the ubiquitous and insidious staging of the plantation as an ahistorical, hyper-aestheticised dreamscape of leisure and play, these local counter-choreographies intervene on the scale of global history. The essay articulates the stakes of this refusal by historicising the installation of plantation heritage tourism as a nostalgic site of planter's pageantry that continues to erase the violent legacies of enslaved and indentured labour into the present day. Engaging the aesthetic and political consequences of these competing choreographies, the essay looks towards the future of the Caribbean as a global proscenium of postcolonial possibility.

Ethnography of exploitation in seasonal agricultural labor. The case of Bulgarian Roma laborers in Apulia, Southern Italy

This paper analyses a case of severe labour exploitation, involving a group of Bulgarian fruit and vegetable pickers of Roma origin employed in the seasonal harvest, especially of tomatoes, in the Foggia area involved in a 10-year cycle of seasonal migration between Italy and Bulgaria. The essay presents the general characteristics and factors affecting the form of extreme exploitation in farm work in Italy and reconstructs the working conditions and migration trajectories of this group of farm laborers of Roma origin to see how ethnicity, widespread anti-Gypsyism, and forms of extreme social exclusion accentuate the dynamics of labor exploitation. This group experiences the most intense forms of exploitation on the ground compared to other exploited foreign laborers. The case study is based on ethnographic that lasted about 2 years and interviews with privileged witnesses.

Expansion of Japanese Ceramic Industry in Manchuria and Colonial Exploitation in the Early 20th Century

Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty and into the early Republic of China, the ceramics industry, a vital component of China’s economy, faced stagnation. In response, the central government embarked on modernization efforts to rejuvenate the industry, achieving tangible progress such as establishing modern systems through the Porcelain Company. Despite these efforts, Japan aggressively exported goods to China, aiming to expand its trade and dominate the Chinese market. Additionally, the ceramics department within the central laboratory of the South Manchurian Railway Company was established to mass-produce ceramics for heavy chemical use, utilizing resources from Manchuria to meet the substantial material demands for foreign invasions. Furthermore, modern Japanese apprenticeships were extended to Chinese laborers to meet the daily ceramic needs of Japanese residents in the northeastern region. Thus, on the surface, the ceramics industry in the Northeast appeared to have expanded in various aspects.The Chinese ceramics industry underwent significant changes in production scale, distribution, technology, and infrastructure. However, these developments were not the result of natural growth but rather arose from the allocation of raw materials and products essential for Japan’s ceramics sector. Moreover, they were fueled by the harsh exploitation of laborers in the northeastern ceramics industry, serving as a key aspect of Japan’s broader strategy of mass colonization.

《资本论》的逻辑倒推与马克思主义的立场正论

The writing logic of Das Kapital is centered on “the discussion of capital”, essentially examining the societal attributes of capital. In capitalist society, the social attribute of capital lies in the systemic exploitation of labor. Therefore, while the writing logic of Das Kapital focuses on “the discussion of capital”, its deeper ideological logic lies in “the discussion of labor”, and the ideological logic ultimately aims at promoting the awakening and functionality of “laborers” in terms of subjectivity and sociality, Marx’s Das Kapital adheres to the labor theory of value and seeks to transcend the capitalist society’s labor theory of value. In practical terms, this is a concentrated expression of the political stance of Marxism speaking for “laborers”.

He’s No Spartacus: Jesus, Slavery, and the Utopian Imagination

Abstract James Crossley and Robert Myles’s Jesus: A Life in Class Conflict is a considerable accomplishment in its situation of Jesus as a figure inseparable from the material conditions of labor exploitation. The present review discusses two topics that the book touches upon only briefly, but linger under the surface of their analysis: Jesus’ treatment of enslaved laborers and utopian social experimentation. This article juxtaposes Jesus with the roughly contemporaneous figure of Spartacus to consider about the availability of social experimentation and the location of slaves within class-based analyses of Roman antiquity.

Supply Nets: The Logistics of Seafarer Abandonment

AbstractThis paper studies the infrastructural and organisational forms that facilitate labour exploitation within maritime logistics. My entry point is the rising wave of seafarer abandonments, which I approach not as isolated incidents of mismanagement but as an intensification of the flexibilising tendencies underpinning contemporary capitalism. I trace the recent history of these dynamics, examining their effect on shipping labour. I then investigate some of the specific legal and economic mechanics of shipping, focusing on debt, insurance, and bordering. Using supply chain mapping software, I study supply systems in a way that centres labour rather than the commodities being moved. I close by claiming that abandonments are not an accident, but an inevitable endpoint of a system designed to precaritise labour while protecting shipowners’ profits. Against this, I sketch out a new way of conceiving of supply chains—as supply nets, matrices of interconnected lines, prone to becoming tangled.

Insights from a community of practice: Integrating human rights in fisheries improvement

A recent article authored by Williams and Sparks suggests that fishery improvement projects (FIPs) “as currently constituted and reported, will not be an effective part of the fight against labour exploitation and abuses in global industrial fisheries.” We wish to reinforce their argument that driving social responsibility improvements in global fisheries requires a systemic approach combining genuine worker representation, mandatory human rights due diligence, enforceable and legally binding agreements, changes to purchasing practices, and the ratification and implementation of international labor and human rights conventions, and we acknowledge that the FIP model alone will fall short of this. Based on our collective experience working towards social improvements in fisheries, we wish to bring a slightly more nuanced perspective to bear to demonstrate the critical importance of using a human rights-based approach in fisheries’ sustainability efforts across industrial and artisanal contexts. We structure this response by revisiting each of the main points Williams and Sparks raise, bringing in our own experiences and additional evidence to build upon their original remarks, suggesting: there is a need for continuous monitoring and improvements in dynamic risk environments; voluntary measures can lead to and buttress mandatory and legally binding measures; diverse fisheries require diverse approaches; and humans are inextricably linked to fisheries, thus effective and enduring solutions must consider human wellbeing and environmental sustainability in tandem. We end with a call to action with explicit roles and responsibilities for different actors inside and outside of the Fishery Improvement Project context to support binding and enforceable agreements between buyers and fishworker representative organizations, advancing human and labor rights protections in seafood supply chains.