Resumen

UMANA HERNANDEZ, Camilo Eduardo. Forced Labour: Plastic Tears. Gaceta Laboral [online]. 2007, vol.13, n.1, pp.58-75. ISSN 1315-8597.

Forced labour, meaning all work or service exacted from any person under threat of a penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily, is a serious violation of human rights and a restriction of the person’s freedom. In the words of ILO General Director Juan Somavia, “Forced labour is the very antithesis of decent work, which is the goal of the ILO.” Poverty, unemployment and discrimination are not the only sources of this problem; lack of education and violence, generalized conditions in today’s world, also contribute to making more than twelve million people the victims of forced labour. The causes range from complex, worldwide socio-economic situations to a lack of political decision by the different states. This paper presents an informed vision that seeks to bring to light all those problems surrounding forced labour.

Palabras clave : Forced labour; ILO Conventions Nos. 29 and 105; human rights.