Bonded labor is when someone works to pay off a debt owed to another person, often under harsh conditions. It can involve entire families and can be difficult to escape. It is illegal in most countries but can still thrive due to lack of enforcement.
Bonded labor is a form of debt bondage that arises when an individual begins to work for another person who owes that worker a debt. It is also known as debt bondage. Once a forced labor situation has arisen, some individuals find it impossible to get out.
Bonded labor begins when one individual goes to another individual to borrow money and agrees to work in exchange for the money. Often, the person will be required to live in the property so the debtor can keep track of their whereabouts. It is also common for all members of an immediate family to share a debt bondage situation. This means that even though some of those enslaved have not borrowed the money, they are still serving as slaves.
The purpose of bonded labor for the individual who holds the debt is to obtain a low-wage source of labour. In most cases, conditions are so unfavorable to the slave or indentured servant that getting out will take most of their lives, if that is even possible. In most cases, if the slave dies before the debt is paid off, the rest of the family will have to continue working for the debtor until it is determined that the debt has been paid.
In some cases, those who are serving a debtor in a bonded labor situation may seek to borrow money for other things as well. This further increases the debt and gives the debt holder even more power. Ultimately, the goal is to create a person who feels that the debtor is their only source of hope in the world.
A person enslaved in a forced labor situation may receive some money for his efforts, but this is only a token payment. In most cases, it is understood that the true value of their work is going to pay off the debt they owe. In practice, the true value of their work is never paid or counted in full in the debt.
Furthermore, the conditions under which contract employees work can be very harsh. Some have reported working 13 hours or more in a typical day. Many can be crammed into very small living conditions. If they marry, their spouses also become slaves of the debtor. Work can include housework, farm work, industrial work, or even clandestine work in the sex trade.
While the practice of bonded labour, also spelled bonded labor in Britain, is still in place in many areas of the world, it is illegal in most countries. Some jurisdictions may choose not to enforce books laws. Others may find it difficult to prove the situation in court. Therefore, even where it is illegal, it is able to thrive.
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