International Labour Conference 96th Session, 2007 Report III (Part 1B) General Survey concerning the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) Third item on the agenda: Information and reports on the application of Conventions and Recommendations Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (articles 19, 22 and 35 of the Constitution) International Labour Office Geneva Eradication of forced labour INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE GENEVA ISBN 978-92-2-118134-7 ISSN 0074-6681 First edition 2007 The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. 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Introduction ...................................................................................... 1–34 Chapter II. Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)........................................ 35–140 Chapter III. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) ................... 141–191 Chapter IV. Concluding remarks ......................................................................... 192–210 v Contents Page Executive summary .................................................................................................... xi Chapter I. Introduction.......................................................................................... 1 1. Background of the General Survey. Magnitude of the problem ................... 1 2. Historical background and ILO standards relating to forced or compulsory labour ...................................................................................... 4 (a) Measures called for by the forced labour Conventions ........................ 5 (b) Other ILO instruments ......................................................................... 7 3. Other relevant international instruments...................................................... 8 (a) United Nations instruments.................................................................. 8 (b) Regional instruments........................................................................... 10 4. Major developments since 1979 to date...................................................... 11 5. Ratifications: Prospects and obstacles........................................................ 12 (a) Prospects for ratification of Convention No. 29.................................... 13 (b) Prospects for ratification of Convention No. 105.................................. 14 6. Information available and difficulties encountered....................................... 15 7. Structure of the survey................................................................................ 17 Chapter II. Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) ......................................... 19 Part I. Definition of forced or compulsory labour and exceptions from the scope of the Convention .............................................................................. 19 1. Definition of forced or compulsory labour.................................................... 19 (a) Work or service ................................................................................... 19 (b) Menace of any penalty ........................................................................ 20 (c) Voluntary offer..................................................................................... 20 2. Exceptions from the scope of the Convention ............................................. 22 (a) Compulsory military service................................................................. 22 (b) Normal civic obligations....................................................................... 24 (c) Compulsory labour as a consequence of a conviction in a court of law 24 (i) Conviction in a court of law ............................................................ 25 (ii) Supervision and control of a public authority.................................. 26 (iii) Prohibition on hiring convicted persons to, or placing them at the disposal of, private individuals, companies or associations............ 27 (d) Cases of emergency............................................................................ 32 (e) Minor communal services.................................................................... 33 vii Eradication of forced labour Page Part II. Progress and present-day problems in the implementation of the Convention......................................................................................... 34 1. General prohibition of forced or compulsory labour..................................... 34 2. Slavery, slavery-like practices and other illegal forms of compulsion to work........................................................................................................ 35 3. Trafficking in persons for the purpose of exploitation .................................. 39 4. Forced or compulsory labour imposed by the State for the purposes of production or service............................................................................... 47 (a) General obligation to work................................................................... 47 (b) Imposition of labour for public works or services and other specified purposes............................................................................... 49 (c) National service obligations................................................................. 54 (d) Restrictions on freedom of workers to terminate employment.............. 57 5. Privatization of prisons and prison labour.................................................... 58 6. Sentence of community work ...................................................................... 67 7. Compulsory work as a condition for receiving unemployment benefits........ 70 8. Obligation to do overtime work under threat of a penalty ............................ 71 9. Effective enforcement of the prohibition of forced or compulsory labour ..... 72 Chapter III. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105)................... 77 1. Scope of Convention No. 105 in relation to Convention No. 29................... 77 2. Abolition of forced or compulsory labour in circumstances referred to in Article 1 of the Convention. Progress and present-day problems of implementation in national law and practice............................................ 81 (a) Abolition of forced or compulsory labour as a means of political coercion or education or as a punishment for holding or expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system (Article 1(a)) ................................ 81 (b) Abolition of forced or compulsory labour as a method of mobilizing and using labour for purposes of economic development (Article 1(b)) 91 (c) Abolition of forced or compulsory labour as a means of labour discipline (Article 1(c)) ......................................................................... 93 (i) Sanctions of general scope............................................................ 93 (ii) Sanctions applicable in the public service...................................... 95 (iii) Disciplinary measures applicable to seafarers ............................... 96 (d) Abolition of forced or compulsory labour as a punishment for having participated in strikes (Article 1(d)) ...................................................... 99 (i) General prohibition of strikes ......................................................... 100 (ii) Restrictions on the right to strike relating to the public service and to essential services ...................................................................... 101 (iii) Procedural requirements restricting the exercise of the right to strike.............................................................................................. 105 (iv) Prohibition of political strikes.......................................................... 107 (e) Abolition of forced or compulsory labour as a means of racial, social, national or religious discrimination (Article 1(e)) .................................. 108 Chapter IV. Concluding remarks............................................................................ 111 viii Contents Page Appendices I. Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29).......................................................