Countering Workplace Abuse in Developing Countries

Table of Contents

Laws and Regulations
Freedoms and Rights
The Role of Western Countries
International Companies
Social Reforms
Works Cited

Laws and Regulations

I will begin by introducing one of the main steps necessary for eradicating the problem of violence in the workplace in developing countries, which is the adoption of laws protecting workers rights and their health and safety. Abuse in the workplace is part of a systemic problem of the absence of proper rules of conduct for employers, and solving this global issue should be a priority for governments of developing countries. The new legislation must address the current state of affairs in the country and deal with the most relevant topics, for example, the problem of forced labor. The official laws and codes of these nations have to contain clauses that ban slavery and work under duress. Moreover, employees must not be exposed to any form of discrimination, which is particularly prevalent in an environment that lacks any regulations.

Any form of violence stems from the lack of proper penalties for it. Thus developing countries must implement severe punishments for employers and perpetrators who will decide to hurt workers both physically and psychologically. These strict measures will help developing nations ensure that their citizens will not be subject to dangerous and even abusive treatment on the part of their employers. Moreover, developing countries can introduce special guidelines and frameworks for employers who would require them to build safe facilities which would minimize the risk of industrial injuries and accidents. The hours of work and rest also have to be outlined in the laws since abusive workplaces tend to exploit workers without any concern about their health.

Developing countries have to make it mandatory for every company to adopt a special code of employee relations, which would outline the basic rules of conduct in the workplace. Such codes must include obligations of employers to their workers, which would be based on respect for labor and human rights. The codes have to be in line with the official laws of the country and aim at creating a working environment that is free from sexual harassment, violent acts, insults, and defamation. They must also contain provisions that would require managers to espouse an ethical approach to every worker and treat them not as inferior beings but individuals who have dignity and deserve to be respected.

Freedoms and Rights

Another essential right that has to be guaranteed to all workers in developing countries is the freedom of association. Workers will not be able to counter the illegal activity of their employers without the freedom to form groups and collectively defend their rights and rebel against inhumane treatment, including workplace abuse. Workers have to receive a right to form trade unions and collectively bargain for an increase in their wages, demand eradication of abuse targeted against them, and safer working conditions (Public Services International). The laws which will grant actual rights and freedoms to workers will enable them to become genuine stakeholders in the economy of their country and play a major role in the political and social sphere.

The Role of Western Countries

Western democracies, as the worlds most advanced economies and proponents of human rights, have to influence political leaders and officials of developing countries to grant freedoms to their citizens, particularly in the area of labor. Countries such as the U.S. have to assist developing nations in implementing all the necessary legislation to achieve it and share their experience with the protection of labor rights. The United Nations can become a platform where western countries can establish joint task forces with developing countries in order to tackle particular problems such as workplace abuse. Democratic nations can also introduce economic sanctions against developing countries with poor human rights records in order to force them to adhere to international standards.

International Companies

Western companies tend to utilize cheap labor in developing countries to minimize their production expenses and increase profits. Often workers who manufacture goods for these companies are subject to mistreatment and abuse. The home countries of these companies must hold the executives accountable for every incident of workplace abuse at their facilities. The companies have to make annual reports about their progress in the sphere of establishing decent working standards and ensuring workers rights in developing counties where they operate. International companies have to introduce the same working conditions to their factories in developing nations as the ones adopted in their home countries. Governments of the companies home countries can work together with political leaders from the developing ones to control this process.

Social reforms must become another part of the strategy of improvement for developing countries, which must commit to making considerable investments in safety nets for unemployed workers. People often fear losing their job because it is the only source of income in their family. As a result, such individuals are extremely vulnerable in the face of workplace abuse because they will be more likely to endure it silently. Introducing a system of benefits for people out of work and different support programs such as food stamps will help poor people escape an abusive workplace environment and ensure better social mobility of citizens.

The last step in the strategy of tackling the workplace abuse problem has to become the implementation of a nationwide mandatory health insurance policy. The poor who work for small companies can receive free insurance protection paid by the state. While medium-sized and major enterprises can be mandated by the government to provide insurance to their workers. This will create an incentive for the companies to care for their employees since hurting them will entail substantial losses.