Are you a small- or medium-sized enterprise (SME) owner or employee?
Then this podcast series is for you.
In three short episodes we introduce you to forced labour, share the latest figures, show you how to spot the signs, and point you in the direction of useful tools and resources. Even better, we introduce you to three SME owners/directors who are taking on forced labour and child labour and making a difference.
These podcasts can fit anywhere in your busy schedule: during your coffee break, while commuting to the office, or traveling to meetings. Available for streaming and downloading, they will help you make a start on your journey to end forced labour.
We hope that after listening you feel inspired and equipped to act. For more information and tools, browse our website, contact your nearest employer or business membership organization, or pop us an email at fl-businessnetwork@ilo.org
DID YOU KNOW?
SMEs make up 90% of the private sector globally. Despite their reach and influence, they have not been included in the conversation on responsible business conduct, which has mainly involved large enterprises. While efforts to date have paid off, more action is needed if we are to eradicate forced labour by 2030, as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. According to the latest estimates, 27.6 million people are in forced labour around the globe. SMEs can shave a large chunk off this shocking figure.
1. What is forced labour and why should SMEs get involved?
Date: 1 November 2022
Length: 30 minutes
Episode 8
In this introductory episode Laura Greene, our network coordinator, is interviewed by Mariska van der Linden, a consultant working with ILO GBNFL. Laura gives practical examples relevant to SMEs based on her personal experience and the latest evidence. She answers the following questions:
- What is forced labour?
- How big is the challenge we face?
- What are the signs of forced labour a SME can spot?
- Why could SMEs be game changers when it comes to eradicating forced labour?
- Is forced labour eradication by 2030 really achievable?
You can listen to our podcast on the following platforms:
Apple Podcasts SoundCloud Spotify
Laura mentions the following data and tools in the podcast:
- The ILO’s 11 indicators of forced labour, which are the most common signs of a forced labour situation
- The latest global estimates of forced labour, according to which 27.6 million people are in forced labour, more than the entire population of Australia. We have distilled the most relevant figures for businesses into a two-page factsheet available in English, French and Spanish.
- The ILO’s General principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment and definition of recruitment fees and related costs, which help governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations to make fair recruitment a reality, thereby preventing forced labour. The guidelines recognize the principle that workers shall not be charged any fees or related costs for their recruitment. We will cover fair recruitment in more depth and from a more practical angle in the next two podcast episodes.
2. Fighting forced labour: Inspiration and advice from SMEs for SMEs
Date: 16 November 2022
Length: 45 minutes
Episode 9
In March this year 300 people joined us to hear from three inspiring SMEs who had entered our Global Award for SME Action on Forced Labour. Mariska van der Linden, ILO GBNFL consultant, has taken the highlights from this event and turned them into a podcast.
download or stream on these platforms
Apple Podcasts SoundCloud Spotify
Listen to hear from:
- The ARTE Group, a company making kitchen worktops which successfully set up a Child Labour Free Zone in India
- Wimrob Bees Ltd., which has set up a network of beekeepers and provides opportunities for decent work and income in rural Uganda
- FSI Worldwide, a recruitment agency that has set up permanent village-level fair recruitment systems in Nepal, India, and Kenya.
For more from these inspiring SMEs, including top tips, fact files and detailed case studies, see here.
3. The best free tools and resources for SMEs fighting forced labour
Date: 2 february 2023
length: 18 minutes
episode: 10
This short episode introduces the listener to free tools and resources that help SMEs on their journey to end forced labour. The tools and resources covered are particularly relevant to the SME context and help to implement fair recruitment, find and contact relevant organizations to partner with, access up to date, credible and relevant information, and more.
Listen now!
Apple Podcasts SoundCloud Spotify
In addition to our network coordinator, Laura Greene, this episode features short interviews with two experts:
- Alice Pease, Manager, Global Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking (GBCAT)
- Sherelle Wilson, Monitoring and Database Officer, Bridge project, ILO.
Tools and resources mentioned in this episode (in order of appearance)
- The ILO GBNFL Due Diligence Toolkit for Fair Recruitment is an online training course that has been designed specifically for SMEs and helps users to set out a due diligence process when hiring workers from abroad, thereby preventing forced labour. The toolkit is available in English, French and Spanish.
- The GBCAT Toolkit for Suppliers on Forced Labour and Modern Slavery introduces the issue at hand. It includes practical aids, such as posters on forced labour and coercive recruitment which can be put up in the workplace to raise awareness. More tools and resources are available on the GBCAT website.
- The Modern Slavery Map allows SMEs to find and contact NGOs and other stakeholders that work with the private sector and provide expert advice. The map is a collaborative effort to which both ILO GBNFL and GBCAT contribute.
- The ILO’s new Forced Labour Observatory (FLO) is an online repository of global and country level information on forced labour for all 187 ILO member states (countries). The tool was developed under the ILO Bridge Project, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. It provides comprehensive information on forced labour, including information on international and national legal and institutional frameworks, enforcement, prevention (including fair recruitment and due diligence), protection, access to justice, remedies, and more. The data can be used by SMEs to inform risk profiles, adapt prevention and remediation strategies, and more.
If you are interested in accessing further tools and resources on fighting forced labour, please visit our online library.