A bigger role for labour inspectors in combatting forced labour
China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has said labour inspection can play a bigger role in combating forced labour in the country.
 |
The MOHRSS and the ILO organized a training workshop for labour inspectors on preventing and addressing forced labour on 24-25 April in Nanning. The workshop was attended by 34 labour inspectors from Henan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Shandong, Yunnan and Zhejiang province-level labour inspection offices, as well as several cities in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The training agenda covered international standards and Chinese legal framework on forced labour and labour inspection, as well as the role of labour inspectors in preventing and addressing forced labour. Group work on several case studies discussing identification of forced labour, planning an inspection visit on forced labour, and reviewing good practice examples from different countries allowed active exchange of views and experiences among participants and experts. Representatives from province-level labour inspection offices in Henan, Guangdong, Guizhou, Shandong, Yunnan and Zhejiang also shared their experiences and local practices in addressing forced labour.
Ms Ma Hongbin, Director General of the MOHRSS Labour Inspection Bureau, noted in her closing remarks that labour inspection can play a bigger role in combating forced labour in China. She emphasized the importance of extending inspection services to grassroots level through the twin network labour inspection system. In her view specific attention should be paid to small brick kilns, small coal mines, small mines and other small businesses that are known to be at risk of forced labour. Ms Guan Jinghe, Deputy Director of the ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia, applauded the concrete results achieved by the training workshop, and confirmed continued ILO support to the MOHRSS on development of standardized labour inspection practices on identification and handling of forced labour cases.
The workshop was followed by a visit to Nanning City labour inspection office for an introduction to the twin network labour inspection system.
The workshop was one of the project activities of the Forced Labour Action in the Asian Region (FLARE project).