In maritime transport, the risks of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking rise significantly where seafarers are recruited through agencies and intermediaries, misled about terms and conditions, subjected to delayed or non-payment of wages, or prevented from leaving ships at the end of contracts. Isolation at sea, lengthy periods away from home and limited access to complaint mechanisms further heighten other risks and restrict workers’ ability to seek help or leave.
Forced labour overlaps with modern slavery and human trafficking, resulting in some of the most egregious human rights abuses in the maritime industry. The ILO has set out 11 key indicators of forced labour. Many are prevalent in shipping, and some – for example isolation and restriction of movement – are inherent to life at sea. In some cases, one of these indicators alone may be enough to qualify as forced labour, while in others a combination may be needed to meet the threshold of abuse, and each indicator signals risk and warrants investigation. These indicators are:
These indicators are:
- Abuse of vulnerability
- Deception
- Restriction of movement
- Isolation
- Physical and sexual violence
- Intimidation and threats
- Retention of identity documents
- Withholding of wages
- Debt bondage
- Abusive working and living condition
- Excessive overtime
Seafarers are trafficked for labour exploitation through deceptive recruitment, failure to uphold contract terms or pay as promised, charging recruitment fees directly, indirectly or in part, and the withholding of wages or documents – all of which lead to debt bondage and forced labour. The ITF tackles hundreds of cases each year where seafarers are forced to remain on board or risk forfeiting the wages they are owed.
Under national laws, much of this conduct is criminal. Companies should take particular note of modern slavery risks for reporting requirements under national legislation, including the UK and Australian Modern Slavery Acts.
For more on forced labour and human trafficking, including the full set of risk indicators for transport supply chains, see the Risks Across Transport guidance.