Employers and forced labourEmployers and forced labour

Nick ClarkNick Clark

Domestic workers:Domestic workers:contributory factors to abusecontributory factors to abuse

Imprecise notions of Imprecise notions of employmentemployment

““like a member of the family”; relationship like a member of the family”; relationship based on favours rather than contracts based on favours rather than contracts and rights:and rights: ““I don’t have a contract. My present I don’t have a contract. My present

employer, they accept me to work in their employer, they accept me to work in their house, they trust me that means.”house, they trust me that means.”

Filipina female 40-49 in Clark & Kumarappan (2011)Filipina female 40-49 in Clark & Kumarappan (2011)

““Othering” of the Othering” of the workerworker

Poverty, docility, lack of sophistication – foreignness . . . they’re [Nepalese] so quiet and discreet. Filipinos

are brasher. They’re more social and they like to chat and gossip. They are quite pushy. Some people would say they were greedy.

(Employer interviewees, ‘Markets for Migrant Sex and Domestic Workers’ cited by Anderson (2007))

Flat rate paymentsFlat rate payments: pay unrelated to : pay unrelated to work hours – two thirds of employers set work hours – two thirds of employers set pay at round numbers, but hours of work pay at round numbers, but hours of work vary widely in jobs with same nominal ratevary widely in jobs with same nominal rate

Nature of the workNature of the work: lack of limits to : lack of limits to demand, emotional content & location in demand, emotional content & location in the homethe home

JRF Study: contributory JRF Study: contributory factorsfactors(Clark 2013)(Clark 2013)

Sectional or regional normsSectional or regional norms: for example : for example textile workshops in Spain, construction in Italy, textile workshops in Spain, construction in Italy, agriculture in general. agriculture in general.

Similar process noted for non payment of wages Similar process noted for non payment of wages in Russia during ’90s:in Russia during ’90s:““a one-month increase in the average use of the a one-month increase in the average use of the practice in a community increases the probability that a practice in a community increases the probability that a firm will use wage arrears by 6 to 7 percent in the firm will use wage arrears by 6 to 7 percent in the following year” following year” (Earle, Spicer & Peter 2010)(Earle, Spicer & Peter 2010)

Pay systemsPay systems: output-related in Swedish : output-related in Swedish berry picking, Romanian strawberry berry picking, Romanian strawberry pickers in Germany, Netherlands, flat rate pickers in Germany, Netherlands, flat rate in Connors case(UK)in Connors case(UK)

““Othering” Othering” can also be found – for can also be found – for example seasonal workers in agriculture example seasonal workers in agriculture in S. Francein S. France

Employers & forced Employers & forced labour: a preliminary labour: a preliminary hypothesishypothesis

There is a tendency for certain labour There is a tendency for certain labour market practices and social relationships market practices and social relationships in in combination combination to facilitate a decline from to facilitate a decline from exploitative practice into forced labourexploitative practice into forced labour

ReferencesReferences

Anderson, B. (2007) Anderson, B. (2007) A Very Private Business - Exploring the Demand A Very Private Business - Exploring the Demand for Migrant Domestic Workers for Migrant Domestic Workers European Journal of Women’s Studies European Journal of Women’s Studies 14:3 pp 247-26414:3 pp 247-264

Clark, N. & Kumarappan, L (2011) Clark, N. & Kumarappan, L (2011) Turning a Blind Eye - the British Turning a Blind Eye - the British state and domestic workers employment rights state and domestic workers employment rights London: Working London: Working Lives Research InstituteLives Research Institute

Clark, N. (2013) Clark, N. (2013) Detecting and tackling forced labour in Europe Detecting and tackling forced labour in Europe York: York: Joseph Rowntree FoundationJoseph Rowntree Foundation

Earle, J., Spicer, A. & Sabrianova Peter, K. (2010)Earle, J., Spicer, A. & Sabrianova Peter, K. (2010)The Normalisation The Normalisation of Deviant Organisational Practices: Wage Arrears in Russia 1991-of Deviant Organisational Practices: Wage Arrears in Russia 1991-1998 1998 Academy of Management Journal 53:2 pp 218-237Academy of Management Journal 53:2 pp 218-237