Wednesday, May 8#blacklivesmatter

The Untold Truth of Labor Trafficking

The Bougie Aunt | Published 9:00 p.m. E.T. August 15, 2020

10 minute read

SUPPORT LABOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS BY CLICKING ON THE LINKS! 

Farm worker alleges mistreatment in Wisconsin labor trafficking case

WHAT IS LABOR TRAFFICKING?

Labor trafficking is a type of human trafficking where victims are instructed to perform activities through the usage of fraud, coercion, or force. Labor trafficking occurs in both the illegal and legal sectors of economies. The hot spot sectors are the following: agriculture, construction, electronics manufacturing, mining/fishing/forestry, textile and apparel manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing. The industries where labor trafficking is prevalent is alarming because most of them can be further categorized into private sectors. And, every single industry listed is vital for the average standard of living in more developed countries (MDCs)

HOW PRIVATE SECTORS ENABLE LABOR TRAFFICKING

A private sector is defined as the area of a nation’s economy where the government is not directly controlling it. Because of the lack of supervision, businesses are free to administer their own regulation. This is a problem for businesses, like multinational corporations, where different levels of workers’ conditions are rarely checked. However, it should not be a problem. 

Business is an appealing pursuit for many because of the promises attached to it. The idea of managing and calling the shots of one’s own enterprise convinces many to enter the field. Those same appeals seem to fall short when they are applied to others’ well-being, but they should be extended. With private sectors possessing the privilege to supervise themselves, they have the ability and a responsibility to care for their workers. 

ACTIONS PRIVATE SECTORS CAN TAKE TO REDUCE THEIR INVOLVEMENT

The methods private sectors can enact to protect their workers are not complicated; they are simply ethics. Private sectors should be hosting audits. Audits identify if there are any discrepancies between what they are informed about for workers’ conditions and their actual conditions. This would be a great starting point for private sectors that are clueless towards their workers’ conditions. Although, it would be a great starting point for any private sector because they are most likely ignorant about the conditions endured by their employees. Additionally, private sectors implementing mandatory training on recognizing the signs for labor trafficking would aid in reducing the negative effects of global supply chains. If you suspect human trafficking is happening in your workplace, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733 (BEFREE).

Furthermore, businesses have a blatant solution already: collaboration. Collaboration is at the core of businesses. So, it would make sense to mesh the two together to combat labor trafficking. Non-governmental and non-profit organizations are one of the ideal candidates for collaboration, as they have already demonstrated their commitment to halting human trafficking. For example, Delta collaborated with Polaris, a nonprofit organization targeted at preventing human trafficking. They generated a video that would be seen from their in-flight entertainment devices, and it taught passengers on how to inform authorities on wary actions. 

In closing, labor trafficking is a horrendous, despicable activity. However, labor trafficking tends to fly under the radar because it is displayed more in open settings than closed settings, like sex trafficking. It results in making labor trafficking more normalized. Yet, neither form of trafficking is more evil than the other. In both forms, people have their dignity stripped from them daily. It is not fair for all private sectors to be generalized with a bad reputation for human trafficking, but private sectors need to do their part. And, the private sectors that are already doing their part need to encourage it to other businesses, so it culminates into a global effort from all private sectors. 

SUPPORT LABOR TRAFFICKING BY CLICKING ON THE LINKS!

You can make a difference in the lives of human trafficking victims by clicking on the links! The links help support businesses who work with victims of human trafficking. I will greatly appreciate your efforts to support these businesses. Let me know how you like the products either in the comments, through my Instagram and Twitter pages, or both! #CommissionsEarned

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