The role of labour inspection in combating forced labour

LAB/ADMIN participated in a seminar on “the role of labour inspection to combat forced labour” was held in Wroclaw, Poland (9-10 March). The seminar took place in the context of the EC funded project “Transnational Multi-Stakeholder Action to combat trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation: Identification and protection of victims (FREED)”. The project is being implemented by the Italian Department for Equal Opportunities in partnership with the ILO's Special Action Programme to combat Forced Labour (SAP/FL) and with labour inspectorates, law enforcement and trade unions in Italy, Portugal, Poland and Romania. The purpose of the seminar was to validate the ILO handbook for labour inspectors on forced labour and human trafficking. Participants were given the opportunity to share their professional experiences in the field of investigating and sanctioning cases of forced labour, identification of victims of trafficking for forced labour and their modes of cooperation with other government agencies, law enforcement officials and workers’ and employers’ organizations. Through presentations and group exercises, participants were invited to provide comments on the handbook in order to adapt its contents to national conditions in Poland. The revised handbook will ultimately serve as a training tool for Polish labour inspectors on the subject.