The problems of forced labour and degrading work persist within modern sectors of contemporary economies. This presents both a practical and a theoretical challenge, as reflected in the literature on ...new slavery and on unfree labour. Analysis of the production networks within which forced labour and degrading work are found, however, has yet to form a central theme within these bodies of literature. This thesis contributes to filling the above-mentioned gap in the literature by exploring the role of the labour dynamics of production networks in two cases of 'slave labour' in Brazil. The first case involves internal migrant workers in sugar cane while the second case involves cross-border migrants in garment workshops. The thesis addresses the question of whether, and how, the labour dynamics of production networks contribute to 'slave labour' and degrading work in the Brazilian sugar cane and garment sectors. The analysis is a cross-disciplinary one, rooted in development studies but also drawing on economic geography, sociology and economics. A case study method is used, relying principally on archival sources, a focus group and semi-stuctured interviews. Drawing on and developing the Global Production Network (GPN) framework, dynamics of production networks are conceived of as sets of power relations which structure the constraints and opportunities for the various actors who negotiate within them. These interlocking sets of relations include, among others: relations between workers, producers, suppliers, buyers, market intermediaries, civil society groups and the state. The labour dynamics of production networks are the subset of these dynamics involving or impacting relations between workers and employers and thereby structuring conditions of employment. Conditions of employment for migrant workers are examined in each case to show how these constitute 'slave labour.' Degrading conditions and restricted freedoms are found to exist to different degrees and along a number of dimensions. At the extreme, these conditions are labelled 'slave labour' in Brazil. It is argued that 'slave labour' in these cases is therefore a symptom of a wider problem of degrading work. The labour dynamics of production networks are analysed to reveal how producers at labour-intensive stages of production in both cases face increased levels of competition, and their strategies in response to these pressures intersect with the strategies of migrant workers and labour market intermediaries to produce outcomes of 'slave labour' and degrading work. Race, gender and migration status play a complex role in creating categories of workers vulnerable to degrading work and 'slave labour,' drawing attention to the way that production is necessarily embedded in particular socio-economic contexts. The analysis highlights the importance of accounting for and intervening in production networks within efforts to address 'slave labour' and degrading work.
Resumen.
Gracias a un conjunto de datos originales acopiados de 2003 a 2006, los autores estudian el alcance del incumplimiento del derecho laboral en la ciudad de Nueva York y los tipos de ...infractión principales. El trabajo irregular — esto es, el que quebranta las normas vigentes— es muy común en toda una serie de ramos donde abundan los salarios bajos, y se ha extendido al calor de una mezcla defactores eco‐nómicos y de decisiones políticas de los poderes públicos. La solutión, según sostie‐nen los autores, consiste en reforzar la vigilancia del cumplimiento de la ley y en regular los nuevos regímenes de empleo surgidos al hilo de los cambios acaecidos en la organizatión de la productión y del trabajo.
Résumé.
Partant de données qu'ils ont collectées entre 2003 et 2006, les auteurs ob‐servent la prévalence des violations de la législation du travail dans la ville de New York. Ce «travail non ...réglementé» est généralisé dans toute une série d'activités oú les salaires sont bas. Cela s'explique par des facteurs économiques ainsi que par les politiques publiques. Pour les auteurs les solutions seraient de renforcer le contrôle de l'application de la loi et de réglementer les nouvelles formes de relations d'emploi résultant des changements dans l'organisation du travail et de la production.
Resumen.
Gracias a un conjunto de datos originales acopiados de 2003 a 2006, los autores estudian el alcance del incumplimiento del derecho laboral en la ciudad de Nueva York y los tipos de ...infractión principales. El trabajo irregular — esto es, el que quebranta las normas vigentes— es muy común en toda una serie de ramos donde abundan los salarios bajos, y se ha extendido al calor de una mezcla defactores eco‐nómicos y de decisiones políticas de los poderes públicos. La solutión, según sostie‐nen los autores, consiste en reforzar la vigilancia del cumplimiento de la ley y en regular los nuevos regímenes de empleo surgidos al hilo de los cambios acaecidos en la organizatión de la productión y del trabajo.
In 2012 two major clothing retailers, the Spanish group Zara and the Brazilian Marisa, were suspended from membership of the Brazilian ‘National Pact to Eradicate Slave Labour’. In both cases, the ...suspension occurred less than a year after the firms became members in the first place. As members of the Pact, they had pledged to eliminate slave labour from their supply chains. These cases generated a major debate – about forced labour in São Paulo’s clothing industry but also about the Pact itself and about the ‘Dirty List’ of those found to be using slave labour.
So how does the Pact
