Julius shared his perspectives and experience in the area, by starting by saying that modern day slavery is not like the days of Egypt and the construction of the pyramids where people were in ball and chain. He stated that modern day forced labour is due to lack of choice and is characterized by dirty, demeaning and dangerous jobs. This is precarious work where workers remain poor and in temporary situations without security of tenure, where no consideration is given to occupational health and safety and where they face daily abuse.
Workers endure these conditions because there is a long line of unemployed who would quickly replace them. He recounted that many workers fall outside of labour inspection in the workplace and do not have access to any social protection. He also described a reality where workers have no voice and no right to unionize or are punished if they attempt to do so.
He described the work that he is undertaking in the Philippines and along supply chains trying to organize workers, and in particular fired or displaced workers, setting up worker monitoring and worker trade boards and participating in tripartite coordinating bodies.
.@dabigdyul: we need to addres the issue of thw working poor, precairous workers with no health and safety at work #HLPF2016
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: in the #Philippines, a lot of temp workers are abused, because of fear of being fired #HLPF2016
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: the payment workers get does is not enough for them to pay social security #HLPF2016
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: a lot of precarious workers don't have the right to organise, with threats of layoff if they attempt to do so #HLPF2016
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: layoffs due to organising leads to discouraging precarious workers to form unions #HLPF2016
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: better wages and guarantee right to organise are ways to fight #forcedlabour #HLPF2016 @ilo
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: trade unions shuold have direct participation in labour inspection #HLPF2016 #forcedlabour @ilo #decentwork
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@ilo's #forcedlabour in global supply chains: @dabigdyul says many in forced labor are getting paid, brings us to "working poor" phenomenon
— Alison Vicrobeck (@AlisonVicrobeck) 19 July 2016
.@ilo's #forcedlabour in global supply chains: @dabigdyul says in precarious work there's little consideration for safety/health of worker
— Alison Vicrobeck (@AlisonVicrobeck) 19 July 2016
.@ilo's #forcedlabour in global supply chains: @dabigdyul says precarious workers tend to get abused pic.twitter.com/zcgeCSo0xy
— Alison Vicrobeck (@AlisonVicrobeck) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: there should be trade union monitoring networks to ensure labour rights are respected #HLPF2016 #forcedlabour
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: consideration for core labour standards should be taken into account in labour negotiations #HLPF2016
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@ilo's #forcedlabour in global supply chains: @dabigdyul says no one monitors if labor laws are being respected in specific companies
— Alison Vicrobeck (@AlisonVicrobeck) 19 July 2016
.@ilo's #forcedlabour in global supply chain: @dabigdyul says precarious workers don't have a voice & can't unionize pic.twitter.com/lrNij9xEGU
— Alison Vicrobeck (@AlisonVicrobeck) 19 July 2016
.@ilo's #forcedlabour in global supply chains: @dabigdyul says workers in the supply chains should be unionized
— Alison Vicrobeck (@AlisonVicrobeck) 19 July 2016
.@ilo's #forcedlabour in global supply chains: @dabigdyul says governments should be at forefront to ensure right to #unionize is recognized
— Alison Vicrobeck (@AlisonVicrobeck) 19 July 2016
.@ilo's #forcedlabour in global supply chains: @dabigdyul says there should be a trade union monitoring network
— Alison Vicrobeck (@AlisonVicrobeck) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: tripartism, #socialdialogue & #socialprotection are ways to end #forcedlabour #HLPF2016 #SDG8 @ilo pic.twitter.com/yheFIfZ2qr
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: trade unions in the #Philippines are working against corruption in labour inspection #HLPF2016
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016
.@dabigdyul: by 2030 I hope all countries have a functioning #decentwork programme #HLPF2016 #forcedlabour #SDG8 pic.twitter.com/Ffj2rZ7jIX
— TUDCN - RSCD (@TUDCN_rscd) 19 July 2016