Events for ETI Members - Advance Flyer

ETI Members' Roundtable
PRISON LABOUR

Background:

Various corporate members have become aware of prison labour in their supply chains in the last few years. Following a workshop at ETI’s Annual General Meeting in 2002 which aimed to increase members’ understanding of prison labour issues, workshop participants requested a roundtable on the prison labour to explore the matter in greater depth.

Concerns include circumstances where prison labour is exploitative, and on prisoners working for private companies. World-wide, work carried out by prisoners for private companies is on the increase. A key issue is whether prisoners are being exploited as cheap labour with little benefit to the prisoners themselves, or whether the work they perform helps to increase their confidence, skills and chances of securing work after leaving prison. In the UK, neither national law nor current practice conforms to ILO standards on prison labour.

Objectives:

• To share knowledge and experience on prison labour from our trade union, NGO and corporate members, as well as that of other stakeholders;
   
• To explore in more depth how minimum labour standards can be applied in the context of prison labour.
   

Specific issues to be covered:

• Key principles of international law governing prison labour
• How to identify whether or not prison labour is exploitative
• Company experiences of identifying and responding to prison labour in supply chains, including working conditions in UK and European prisons
• Prisoner perspective
   

Timetable:

Member Roundtables

ETI Events