Blog: Precarious Work

Migrant Fishers in Taiwan Take Wi-Fi Now For Fishers’ Rights Campaign International

March 12, 2023

Migrants from across Asia work in Taiwan’s fishing fleet, catching seafood we eat every day. Working under harsh conditions and often facing danger, violence and abuse on the job, thousands of fishers have come together in a new campaign to demand fundamental labor rights.

On March 12, 2023, they took their campaign internationally, gathering with local and international NGO and labor allies in front of the Seafood Expo North America at the Boston Convention Center to demand that responsible sourcing of seafood that respects fundamental labor rights as set forth in ILO conventions and wi-fi access for all fishers on distant-water vessels be at the heart of the conversation about the global seafood industry.

Fight the Heist: Asian Unions Join Forces with GLJ-ILRF & Asia Floor Wage Alliance in Campaign to Stop Nike, Levi’s & VF Corp. from Funneling Stolen Pandemic Wages toward Buybacks

Garment supply chain workers, a majority of them women, faced massive wage theft and income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic when Big Fashion brands’ like Nike canceled or drastically reduced orders en masse (as detailed in Asia Floor Wage Alliance’s (AFWA) Money Heist report).

Meanwhile, Wall Street investors and owners made record profits and paid themselves millions of dollars through stock buybacks.

Modern-Day Servitude in U.S. Port Trucking: A Call to Retail Brands

Today, southern California’s port truck drivers and warehouse workers - many of whom are Black and Latinx workers and TPS recipients – begin a three-day strike to send a clear message to their port trucking employers (XPO Logistics and NFI Industries) and the country’s most powerful brands and retailers: put an end to rampant wage theft and the misclassification of port truckers.

Worker Voice Without Worker Agency Fails Seafood Workers

“Worker voice” is the current buzzword among corporate social responsibility professionals seeking to end labor exploitation in the seafood industry, yet the original meaning of worker voice – in which workers form associations to collectively bargain for better conditions on an equal footing with employers – is nowhere to be found.

Time to Unleash the Power of the U.S National Contact Point

One of the many items in the packed agenda at the UN General Assembly in New York last week was the establishment of more concrete standards for companies seeking to do business sustainably in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. More and more top business leaders are seeking guidance on how to ensure good corporate behavior. But the UN standards are not the only resource to CEOs that want to make environmental and social protection part of their business model.

Human Trafficking and Smuggling Course Highlights

Human Trafficking and Smuggling 
2015 – Course Highlights
 
It has been 15 years since the adoption of the United Nations Trafficking and Smuggling Protocols and one can argue that improvements have been made on the forefront of combatting modern day slavery, but still much work is left to do. The turbulent times we live in require special measures and a creative way forward to address the issue.
 

Pages

Search form

Browse blog by issue

Browse blog by industry

Browse blog by country