Nearly a third of domestic workers in Malaysia in forced labour conditions – UN agency
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaReuters Nearly a third of migrant workers employed in domestic households in Malaysia are working under forced labour conditions, according to a survey released by the United Nations’ labour agency on Thursday. The International Labour Organisation identified conditions such as excessive working hours, unpaid overtime, low wages, restricted movement, and being unable to […]
Low-income countries to be left behind without action on jobs – ILO
Berlin, GermanyReuters A global employment divide between high-income and low-income countries is worsening as rising debt levels hit developing countries disproportionately, the International Labour Organisation said on Wednesday. It urged nations to offer global financial support on job creation and social protection to help narrow the gap. Job seekers stand outside a construction site ahead […]
One in eight children found at risk of becoming child soldiers
Thomson Reuters Foundation One in eight of the world’s children – more than 300 million – live in conflict zones where they are at risk of becoming child soldiers, a charity warned on Tuesday, saying boosting school access was vital in fighting forced recruitment. The United Nations called for a global ceasefire last year to […]
US urged to downgrade Thailand in annual human trafficking report
Bangkok, ThailandThomson Reuters Foundation The US State Department should downgrade Thailand in its annual report on human trafficking, rights groups said on Wednesday, citing the South-East Asian nation’s lack of progress in protecting fishing and garment workers. Thailand had failed to provide sufficient evidence of increased efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking from the […]
Indian state to map cotton supply chain to stamp out child labour
Chennai, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation A top cotton producing state in India is to start mapping its entire supply chain as part of a unique collaboration with the International Labour Organisation to weed out child labour and slavery from its fields and factories. The southern state of Telangana will this month begin a three-year project with […]
Warnings over new law to protect workers in Thai fishing industry
Phnom Penh, CambodiaThomson Reuters Foundation A new law to address abuses in Thailand’s multi-billion dollar fishing industry contains loopholes, labour rights campaigners have said, warning of difficulties in enforcement. The legislation published last Wednesday follows years of global scrutiny over abuse of Thai and migrant workers and mandates basic rights such as social security, medical […]
More than six in 10 children lack access to welfare safety net – report
More than six in 10 children around the world lack access to a welfare safety net, according to a joint UN agency report released on Wednesday. The report from the International Labour Organization and UNICEF found that a welfare safety net exists for just 35 per cent of children overall but drops from 87 per […]
Hundreds of Venezuelan children victims of child labour in Colombia, says government
Thomson Reuters Foundation A campaign by Colombia to eradicate child labour discovered nearly 5,000 children working in the past three months, including hundreds from economically stricken Venezuela, the government said on Tuesday. While child labour rates have fallen in recent years, overall about 850,000 children aged five to 17 are estimated to be working and […]
Global treaty to take aim at workplace harassment
Thomson Reuters Foundation Governments, employers and workers are meeting in Geneva this week to work on the first international convention against workplace harassment after the #MeToo campaign thrust the issue into the global spotlight. About 235 million women in more than a third of the world’s countries are not currently covered by laws against sexual […]
From ending sex slavery to child soldiers, campaigners say more data needed
Thomson Reuters Foundation More and better data is needed to track progress in the global drive to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking as many victims – including people trafficked for their organs and child soldiers – are going uncounted, leading anti-slavery groups say. About 40 million people were trapped as slaves last year – […]