Answer by NO Trade Union Congress Feb 2011on question 2010-11

Answer from the Norwegian LO (Trade Union Congress)BSPC Working Group on Civil SecurityLO is very concerned about Trafficking in Human Beings (THB). THB is contrary to the basic principles ofthe trade union movement and accordingly is a theme that engages us at a national as well as aninternational level.In general, it can be said that strengthening the trade union movement's role with the purpose ofsecuring decent working conditions is the core element in LO's solidarity work. The trade unionmovement believes that a commitment to combating poverty and promoting decent working conditions isan important step in the fight against THB. LO's support and work in connection with the ILO's DecentWork campaign is in accordance with this commitment.A new action plan for LO was adopted at the 2009 LO Congress. From the chapter entitled 'Poverty':'The labour movement plays an important role in efforts to reduce poverty in the world. At the nationallevel and through the international labour movement, LO works actively to fulfil the UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals. Other important contributions to the war on poverty include helping to strengthenthe labour movement in developing countries so that trade union and human rights are protected, socialjustice promoted and to ensure people a living wage. At every level, the war on corruption is animportant road to ensuring good governance. Tripartite cooperation and social dialogue between theauthorities and workers’ and employers’ organisations, as practised in Norway for example, are crucial.LO will play an active role in the international fight against child labour. Children should have aneducation, while their families must be guaranteed work and a decent wage. Trafficking in women andchildren across national borders is an immense and growing problem and accounts for an increasinglylarger part of the global black-market economy. Poverty and joblessness are the main explanations. Thelabour movement must actively battle the sex industry and trafficking.'During the 2009 LO Congress a statement on international solidarity and decent global labour conditionswas adopted. Among other things, one could read the following here:'A capital market and an economic system with too little control and governance, especiallytransnationally, has led to the financial crisis. This constitutes a direct threat against the fundamentalgoals of the labour union movement and the livelihood for millions of people. The ones responsible forthe crisis and the losses walk away with sky-high wages, bonuses and golden handshakes. It is the poorand everyday working people who are footing the bill. LO fears that more than 100 million people will beunemployed by the end of 2009. Further millions will be forced into extreme poverty. Job security will bethreatened, not least in developing countries. This will affect vulnerable groups, especially women. Socialdeprivation leads to increased trafficking in human beings, social dumping and further deterioration of adecent working life, which has been built on human rights laid down in in international conventions.'THB is often difficult to distinguish from other related subjects such as child labour and slavery/forcedlabour. Some of LO's solidarity projects with the trade union movement in Africa address child labour,e.g. our joint project in Ghana. In addition to this, THB may be raised as a theme in conferences with ourpartners.LO is also a member of the reference group for the Norwegian Coordinating Unit for Victims of HumanTrafficking (KOM). KOM deals with various forms of THB in the greyzone between forced labour and socialdumping.LO is also committed to the fight against THB at the international level. LO is a member of theInternational Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), an international trade union movement, and isrepresented in the ILO, the UN's tripartite organization for promoting decent and productive work. TheILO has several projects against THB and slavery. ITUC has launched guidelines on how to fight THB andforced labour and has initiated several projects for this purpose.