India, Pak fight against ILO report on modern day slavery

At a time when India and Pakistan are at loggerheads on almost every issue, diplomats of both countries are on same page on contesting a global report on modern day slavery at the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The report titled 'Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage 2017' prepared by an Australia-based NGO-Walk Free Foundation (WFF) for the ILO estimated the number of modern slaves in India to be between 14 million and 18 million — highest in the world, and 2.1 million in Pakistan — a staggering figure in comparison to size and population of the country.

The Foreign Offices of both countries are smelling conspiracy to hit their exports to the West. An intelligence report had already warned the Indian Prime Minister's Office (PMO) that the report has potential "to substantively harm India's image and kill its exports market".

Rejecting the report, officials here suggest there was "evidence of rising interest of private and multilateral institutions in highlighting human trafficking and forced labour as modern-day slavery, and hit India's image and its economy."

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has already engaged the VV Giri National Labour Institute — an autonomous body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment — to prepare a point-wise rejoinder to the report. The MEA, along with other arms of government, is planning to launch a counter-offensive using credible slavery estimation through a much larger sample survey; and also to intervene diplomatically to force ILO to dissociate from the WFF study.

"We would like to know why the ILO tied up with WFF to produce a report on 'modern slavery' — a term ILO hasn't so far defined in its own conventions," MEA officials said.

Earlier the Ministry of Labour Ministry and Employment had sent a strong letter to the ILO Secretariat in Geneva questioning the methodology of the findings. In a letter to ILO Director General Guy Ryder, the Labour Secretary M. Sathiyavathy stated that "neither the Central government was consulted before the study nor its credibility has been established." He wanted to know the basis on which the data has been verified for credibility. "Although there have been discussions so far, the ILO has not defined 'modern slavery' in its conventions. We define bonded labour in our law in compliance with ILO standards. India doesn't recognise the term 'modern slavery'," the official said.

The anti-slavery laws in Europe and the US make it mandatory for business houses to declare that none of their suppliers are violating slavery norms. Officials here believe that if left uncontested the textile industry in South Asia will take a big hit. India has set a target of $45 billion exports from the country's textile and garment sector in 2017-18. The government is also looking to create one crore new jobs in 3 years, attracting investments of $11 billion in textiles. Similarly for Pakistan textiles comprise 57% of its export revenues, contributing to its 8.5% of the GDP. Pakistan is already facing crunch, with its annual exports of textiles declining form $13.5 billion in 2014 to $10.5 billion in 2017.

Using such reports, the US labour department has already threatened to put India on a list of countries that allegedly use child labour in producing hand-crafted carpet. The US labour department said: "Some children, as young as age five, are recruited for work through an advance payment to their parents, creating a situation of debt bondage which the child must work to repay. The children are isolated, often live at the worksite, and face restricted freedom of movement. Some children are exposed to dye and toxic chemicals without protective equipment; and some are forced to work overtime, even when they are sick. Some children are punished and threatened with verbal and physical abuse, financial penalty, and some are routinely deprived of food, water, and sleep."

The US had based its action on a 2014 report filed by human right activist and academic Siddharth Kara,a fellow at the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. The WFF has over the years in its reports has targeted India for modern day slavery. Set-up in 2012 by Australian mining tycoon, Andrew Forrest, the NGO has been endorsed by Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair and Bill Gates.

As per the report, the highest number of people, 17,000, were surveyed in India and it was placed in a cluster of 53 countries like Honduras, Belize, Iraq, Pakistan and China.

MODERN DAY SLAVES

• The ILO report on modern day slavery estimated number of slaves in India between 14 million and 18 million.
   
• According to the report, the estimated number of slaves in Pakistan is 2.1 million.