Precarious work

Thursday, 01 November 2007 16:27

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Factories often do not issue workers with proper employment contracts, leaving workers no means of redress when their employers fail to respect labour laws on minimum wages, working hours, overtime pay, health benefits, etc. Many workers – especially migrants – do not feel able to ask for such contracts, and to not have a contract is becoming accepted as normal in the industry.

Even where contracts are issued, employers still flout their terms and conditions. Jing, a worker in Chinese factory, told researchers: "Our contract is worth nothing. The factory management never give us what is written in the contract. They talk of not working more than three hours’ overtime - I can’t remember having a day when I worked less than three hours’overtime."

Among the worst-treated in the industry are temporary workers. Often, factories hire them on a temporary contract which is then renewed continuously as a means of evading legal responsibilities like maternity leave or health insurance. This is particularly common in Indonesia. Another tactic is to hire workers from an agency, who are then employed by the agency rather than the owner of the factory. Thus, the company that owns the factory is able to avoid its obligations as an employer.