Winning your chance to go to Europe?
Impactt has recently come across a case of bonded labour in a factory in Eastern Europe. Migrant workers were brought from Asia and had to pay huge amounts of money to travel to and work in Europe. Behind the deposits and the debt, lie the stories of many migrant workers who leave their country hoping to find a better future.
In this case, the workers were contracted through a labour agency in their home country. Supposedly regulated by the government, the agent took advantage of the vulnerability of the workers and demanded fees which flouted legal regulations. Workers, lured by the lucrative prospect of “winning their chance to go to Europe” and improve the standard of living of their families sold assets and borrowed money to pay the enormous fees.
Of course the reality is often different to what they are told (or sold) by agents: wages are lower, working hours are higher. They end up having to stay in their overseas job for a longer period of time to recoup the money they invested and hopefully make a bit of money to support their families. The factory who hired those workers in Europe was shocked to hear their stories.
These issues are of course complex and go from the unenforced regulations of the local government to crooked agents trading in people’s dreams for way out of poverty. Impactt has been working closely on this case with brands involved, the factories and of course the workers to find a sustainable solution for all.
1 Comment
One would think that in a world so technologically advanced like the one we live in, where the previous Iranian election was best tracked by social media sites, that the accessibility of information would expose these crooked antics and migrant workers would not be subject to such conditions. The fact of the matter is that although progress is being made in these transitional nations we are not there yet. I think it is wonderful that your company works to not only bring exposure to these business practices but also works to solve the problems in an economical and humane fashion. Very impressive.