CIN-CG: Victims of labour exploitation invisible to institutions: Job as slavery

Inspectors turn a blind eye to a number of cases of labour exploitation where women don’t get paid, or are forced to do extra jobs or are blackmailed

Although international organizations warn about the phenomenon of forced labour and labour exploitation, only two verdicts have been reached, and that was a decade ago. In the last 13 years Montenegro hasn’t prosecuted a single case of the forced labour trafficking.

International institutions report that mostly foreign men and boys are subjected to forced labour in the construction sector, while the Roma children are forced into street begging. Many foreign women are forced to work in Montenegro.

Montenegro has only two verdicts in cases of labour exploitation. Both trials took place in 2004 and 2005, when seven persons were convicted of labour exploitation and were given from two to three and a half years in prison. The group was made up of four Montenegrins, one Serb and one Ukrainian national. The victims were six persons Ukraine and twenty three from Bangladesh.

Trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation is prohibited in Montenegro by Article 444 of the Criminal Code. Those found guilty risk imprisonment of up to 10 or 12 years. Zoran Ulama, Head of the Office for Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings, told the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) that there was no justification for such poor results in combating the trafficking.

“It’s the duty and obligation of all of us to amend. We expect the police and prosecutors to improve in identification of victims in the time to come”, Ulama said. He points out that different statistical method makes us appear worst in the region when it comes to combat against trafficking.

“Potential victims are registered as victims of trafficking in the region. However, we do not register them as victims of trafficking even though we get them all the help they need and treat them as victims”, Ulama explained to CIN-CG.

Ljiljana Raičević, director of the Safe House for Women, told CIN-CG that only two verdicts reflect the incapacity of the institutions in charge.

“When a new hotel opens, for example, the inspection must make sure that all workers are registered, timely paid etc, and that sets the motion. That’s what they can and must do but they fail though. Bribes and corruption get under way”, she said.

Raičević recalls a scene in a newly opened hotel on the seacoast. The inspector in charge noticed that there was no hot water, that the soup was cold, but failed to notice that all the employees were from neighbouring Bosnia and didn’t bother to check whether they were registered and paid. “The inspections have the greatest responsibility, especially the labour inspectorate which fails to detect those cases”, Raičević said.

Raičević reminded that the United Nations (UN) recognized this type of exploitation as one of the most serious when it comes to women.

“There are various forms of labour exploitation, such as house work, or field work, hotels or any place where private businessmen do not pay their insurance, salary and refuse job contract terms”, she explained.

Raičević also explained how victims, usually foreign women, are manipulated in Montenegro:

“After first month, when managers are supposed to pay salaries, they usually say: you will have free accommodation and food, and upon three months you’ll get paid in total. In the meantime, you can live off your tips. Most women make a mistake by accepting the terms and usually after two or two and a half months they end up being expelled without being paid.”

Victims are further threatened and are afraid to seek help as their documents are in the possession of their bosses. They are forced to do things beyond their job description. This often happens to women from abroad. Most of them come from Serbia.

According to the Safe House for Women director the labour exploitation is less visible than other forms of trafficking in human beings and requires extra efforts to be discovered.

“Only the labour inspectorate can deal with it. However it is necessary to get all other institutions involved. Early detection of illegal work is crucial”, she concluded.

On the other hand, the Labour Inspectorate hasn’t replied the CIN-CG questions about the labour exploitation problem. The Free Trade Union of Montenegro also declined to talk about the problem, saying that its official was absent, and it had insufficient information on the topic.

Victims donate organs to cross the border

Ulama emphasizes that migrants are particularly watched as it has been reported in other countries that they even go that far as to donate their organs to cross the border.

“For now, we have no such information that it happens here as well, but the police is working hard on some cases. We will see the outcome”, he said.

Raičević also believes that we should beware about possible exploitation of migrants whose numbers may be on the rise in the months ahead, especially during the summer.

“They cross the border illegally or stay longer than allowed. They are more at risk because their documents are often taken away by their employers”, she said.

Work exploitation is often accompanied by sexual exploitation

A girl from Belgrade (Serbia) worked in Krašići on the seacoast, in a bar with another 12-13 women from Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia. Only two of them were registered in terms of work permits.

She worked two shifts and expected to be paid accordingly. At the end of the month her employer told her that he did not have the money to pay her, but that he would double salary the next time.

“The following month, he brought two of his friends and proposed her to have sex with them, promising to pay her for that as well. She realized her predicament, refused the indecent proposal and managed to escape after 15 days”, Raičević told CIN-CG. It is one of many cases of labour exploitation of young women.

The girl reported the case to the Safe House for Women. Raičević, as the representative contacted the police. The next morning when the girl was supposed to testify, Raičević found out that she had left and that nobody knew her whereabouts.

“I suppose they blackmailed or threatened her, or someone gave her money to return home. Those women can’t wait to go home, and have no will to fight for justice and testify”, Raičević said.

She also points out that very often labour exploitation of women is accompanied by sexual exploitation. “Bosses usually take away their personal documents, blackmail them with various inappropriate offers, and very often they get physically abused and beaten up”, Raičević said.

Maja BORIČIĆ