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CNN World Report

Forced Labor a Major Concern in Brazil

Aired June 17, 2001 - 14:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: Many people in Brazil are falling victim to forced labor. According to the International Labor Organization, the illicit practice operates under the guise of debt bondage, and is taking on new and dangerous forms. But there is encouraging news: several governments around the world are joining forces with religious and civil groups to battle the problem head-on. ILO Television reports on some positive results.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, ILO-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Terrible road conditions are just a warning of the horrendous working and living conditions that the rescue unit from the Brazilian Labor Ministry will soon uncover. This amateur video shows the discovery of modern day slaves by government labor inspectors. Hidden in a makeshift camp in a remote region of the country, the workers face a brutal and organized network of contractors or middle men, who will use any means to keep the workers from escaping.

They were brought here to clear away forest land for development. Officials of the rescue unit tell the workers they are free to go. The labor inspectors examine the evidence of a endless cycle of debt bondage, where the workers sign away their earnings and their freedom with a thumb print.

Marinalva of this special unit has seen it all.

MARINALVA CARDORASO, LABOR INSPECTOR (through translator): Conditions of work are inhuman, there are conditions that few animals could stand, let alone a human being.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brazilia is the nerve center of the Labor Ministry's special mobile unit, the movements of regional teams are coordinated here, while a hotline tips them off to possible targets to investigate.

Nearly 2,000 workers have already been freed. The political which will to attack the problem of forced labor and raise public awareness of the problem is clear through a full-fledged media campaign, as Claudio Secchim explains.

CLAUDIO SECCHIM, BRAZILIAN SPECIAL MOBILE UNIT CHIEF: Our job is to raise the caution of society, to the level of the individual worker as well as the people institutions who are suppose to enforce the law. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A new report on forced labor by the International Labor Organization, the ILO, highlights the actions taken by the Brazilian government, civil and church groups to acknowledge in combat forced labor. In 1996, an ILO television crew documented the work of this land commission to rescue workers from the charcoal plants of Matogroso (ph).

The international uproar that followed led to the creation of the Special Mobile Unit, awareness is key to action, according to Anne Trebilcock of the ILO.

ANNE TREBILCOCK, EDITOR, ILO FORCED LABOR REPORT: Forced labor is not a relic of the past. It is with us in various forms around the globe, and action must be taken to eliminate it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Igniting political will and raising public awareness will one day bring an end to forced labor for these and other workers worldwide.

This report was prepared by Miguel Shapira and Karen Secacuchi (ph) for the CNN WORLD REPORT.

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