Is it progress or just perception? Forced labor still stains cotton from Turkmenistan
The government in Turkmenistan has been targeted by labor advocacy groups for over a decade due to their use of forced labor in the annual cotton harvest. And there have been reforms recently to try and address the most fundamental of those issues. But according to Just Style, a new report conducted through independent civil society monitoring of last year’s cotton harvest points to forced labor still tainting the supply-chain.
Half done is only just begun
After a decade of independent monitoring, advocacy, and campaigning by Turkmen NGOs in exile, the government beginning to act. To enhance the autonomy of workers and farmers while enabling independent oversight and reporting, the government is implementing reforms. However, advocates argue that these reforms remain insufficient. Cotton Campaign coalition senior coordinator Raluca Dumitrescu notes that although the reforms are a step in the right direction, they are merely initial measures, and further actions are necessary to effectively diminish forced labor during the harvest.
Dumitrescu said:
“…dismantling the forced labor system requires not just changes to mobilization of pickers but also reforms that emphasize fundamental human and labor rights.”
For the reforms to have any hope of success, local activists, workers and farmers need to be included.
Dumitrescu stated:
“The Turkmen government must stop punishing activists who speak out about abuses in the cotton sector and should take concrete steps to empower workers and farmers.”
The new report is titled Turkmenistan Cotton: State-Imposed Forced Labor In The 2024 Harvest And Links To Global Supply Chains. According to the research, coercive labor practices are still being used extensively and systematically during the harvest. While reforms included items like not drafting doctors and teachers in certain areas, raising picking rates to promote voluntary labor, abuse was still widespread. As in previous years, investigators found there was forced mobilization of public sector employees by authorities and institution leaders. Extortion was also used to force participation in cotton picking or force employees to finance substitute laborers.