Labour inspectors sharpened their skills detecting and responding to cases of forced labour, particularly those involving Ukrainians fleeing the war, at a workshop held in Vienna by the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in partnership with the European Labour Authority (ELA) from 10 to 11 April.
"Labour inspectors can play a crucial role in detecting victims and preventing human trafficking," said Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Human Trafficking, during her opening remarks. "Thanks to access to workplaces and the ability to communicate with both employers and employees, labour inspectors can monitor businesses and promptly identify victims in exploitative situations, refer them to protection and assistance, and secure evidence for the prosecution of traffickers."
Labour inspectors from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, and Switzerland learned about legislative frameworks, victim interviewing, trauma-informed approaches, investigations of trafficking cases, and the protection and restoration of victims' rights. They also took part in interactive sessions on how to recognize possible human trafficking cases and victims of labour exploitation.
The workshop trainers were specialists from the Belgian Public Prosecutor's Office, Polish Labour Inspection, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and an expert from the International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council who has lived experience with forced labour.
"The European Labour Authority reaffirms its commitment to working closely with a wide range of partners within its areas of expertise. This includes efforts to prevent labour market abuses and irregularities, such as labour exploitation," said Ileana Stanica, ELA's Analysis and Risk Assessment Expert. "Today's workshop serves as a strong example of fruitful collaboration with the OSCE, aimed at enhancing knowledge and building capacities of labour inspectors to address labour exploitation. We remain fully committed to supporting fair and effective labour mobility, recognizing that partnership is key to achieving our goals."
This was the first workshop in a series of five to take place as part of the OSCE's extrabudgetary project, "Preventing and Responding to Trafficking in Human Beings Amid the Humanitarian Crisis Related to the War in Ukraine", supported by Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Liechtenstein, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
