Forced Labour is universally condemned and banned. Until recently many within the business community believed that it was simply an illegal issue that was not relevant to them. Forced labour is the subject of widely ratified international instruments and within the private sector, many codes, agreements and initiatives refer to the prohibition of forced labour, largely as a result of the inclusion of the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour as a fundamental principle of the ILO’s 1998 Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Until now relatively little attention has been given to it by employer organizations and their members to this issue. However this is changing and forced labour within operations and supply chains have been brought into greater focus by some recent well publicized examples of the practice. Consequently, in recent months the IOE has accelerated its work in this area. In developing work in this area and aware of the controversies and misunderstanding surrounding the issue of forced labour, the IOE is producing a Guide (available fall 2008) which is a first attempt to clarify some of those questions. The Guide will also draw the attention of employers and their members to the risks forced labour represents within their operations; it will give guidance on how to identify and prevent situations of forced labour and it provides some directioin on what employers can do if they decide to address the issue.


The IOE, together with the ILO, has coordinated a number of activities to provide a space for employers’ representatives to understand the issue and its impact for the business community, develop strategies and action plans to address forced labour and exchange information and experiences.


Combating Forced Labour:
A Handbook by the ILO for Employers' and Business (October 2008)

• Booklet 1: Introduction and Overview
  
  
• Booklet 2: Employers' Frequently Asked Questions
  
  
• Booklet 3: Guiding Principles to Combat Forced Labour
  
  
• Booklet 4: A Checklist & Guidance for Assessing Compliance
  
  
• Booklet 5: A Guide for Taking Action
  
  
• Booklet 6: Tips for Taking Action
  
  
• Booklet 7: Good Practice Case Studies

"Engaging Business: Addressing Forced Labour" Sponsored by the US Council for International business, the US Chamber of Commerce and the International Organisation of Employers in cooperation with the International Labour Organization hosted by the Coca-Cola Company - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) Report of the Meeting

IOE/ILO Regional Workshop on addressing forced labour: the role of employers' organizations and business Bangkok (Thailand), 30 June - 1 July 2008 Please click here to access documents related to the workshop (agenda, list of participants, reports, etc)