Cosatu has presented a crucial submission to the USTR, highlighting the urgent issue of forced labour and its implications for workers in South Africa and beyond. This article explores the challenges and strides made in combating this modern-day slavery.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) presented its submission on the burning and often neglected issue of forced labour to the United States’ Trade Representative (USTR) this past week.
Whilst we differ sharply with the USTR’s approach to this existential matter for millions of workers, it is an issue of great importance for the working class, particularly in the developing world, including South Africa.
Ending slavery and forced labour were among the rallying calls for the formation of trade unions across the world from industrialised to developing nations.
As society has evolved slavery was criminalised and labour rights improved, however we still witness frequent abuses, including forced labour and more recently we have seen a growth in human trafficking linked to these. South Africa despite its advances and progressive labour laws has not been immune from these horrors.
