Sudan denied African Union presidency

In an exceptional move, the African Union (AU) declared on 24 January that Sudan would not take up the presidency of the regional body, as had been expected.

Sudan was the only nomination for the position and, as the expected future president, hosted the meeting from 23-24 January.

Anti-Slavery International, as part of The Darfur Consortium, a coalition of African and international NGOs, has been campaigning against the nomination given the Sudan Government's role in human rights violations in Darfur. Since 2003, government-backed Janjaweed militias have systematically raided villages. An estimated two million people have been displaced and 300,000 killed in raids that are disturbingly similar to the slave raids that plagued southern Sudan for decades.

In an unusual move, the AU formed a special committee to decide the question of its presidency. Pressure from governments and NGOs led it to postpone Sudan's candidacy.

Gangmaster Lin Liang Ren was sentenced to 14 years in prison on 28 March, for his role in the deaths of 21 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire over two years ago.

Lin Liang Ren received 12 years for manslaughter and six years for facilitation - helping people to breach immigration laws. These sentences will run concurrently. He was also sentenced to two years for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; which will run consecutively to the other sentences.

The deaths in February 2004 drew attention to forced labour in the United Kingdom. Survivors said they were forced to hand over most of their wages for accommodation, food and transport, leaving only £1 per day for over nine hours' work. They were kept in appalling conditions and had to work in all weather.

Forced labour is a significant problem in the UK, yet protection for migrant workers is insufficient. The Government has yet to sign the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families, which provides protection for migrant workers, regardless of their status.

ILO announces Brazil freed 18,000 forced workers over 10 years

Some 18,000 people have been released from forced labour in Brazil since 1995, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Brazil's Ministry of Labour announced in March.

The number of people released following inspections by the government's Mobile Inspection Groups rose from 2,887 in 2004, to 4,113 in 2005. In 2003, 4,932 people were released.

Despite the Government's aim to eliminate slavery by 2006, thousands of Brazilians continue to be trafficked from impoverished parts of the country, lured to Amazonia by promises of good work. Once they reach their destination, they discover they have been charged for the costs of their transport, food, equipment and accommodation and are forced to pay the debt through their labour.

Church says sorry for Transatlantic Slave Trade role

The Church of England and the French Government have taken important steps forward in acknowledging the brutality of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

At its General Synod on 8 February, the Church admitted to its role in the slave trade and to benefiting from slavery.

From 1710 to 1834, the Church used slaves on its Barbados sugar estate, the Codrington Plantation. And when slavery was abolished in 1833, it received financial compensation for the loss of its slaves. At the Synod, the Church's national assembly, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams apologised for the Church's complicity and urged it to share the "shame and sinfulness of our predecessors".

Earlier, on 30 January, France's President Jacques Chirac declared 10 May an annual national day of remembrance for the victims of slavery.

He also stated slavery should be taught in primary and secondary schools as part of the national curriculum, and noted the link between slavery and racism: "Slavery fed racism ... When people tried to justify the unjustifiable, that was when the first racist theories were elaborated."

These are significant precedents. As part of our Fight for Freedom campaign, we are calling on the United Kingdom Government to take constructive steps to address the legacies of the slave trade, including making it a requirement to teach the Transatlantic Slave Trade under the National Curriculum and establish a national slavery memorial day. Such a day would allow the UK as a whole to remember both the victims of this terrible trade and its lasting legacy, which includes racism and xenophobia.

Singapore Government refuses domestic workers day off in law

The Singaporean authorities have rejected calls for foreign domestic workers to be given a mandatory day off each week.

On 7 March, the Ministry of Manpower stated its decision was to avoid "inconvenience" for households. Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry, Hawazi Daipi, declared "prescribing minimum employment terms and conditions will inevitably lead to rigidities and inconvenience for many households."

This is a shocking failure to recognise the rights of migrant domestics and the value of their work. Many national laws fail to acknowledge domestic labour as "proper" work, which should therefore be subject to labour laws that govern other employment.
Because domestic workers are hidden from view and often live in their employers' home, they are particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

In a response to the Ministry's declaration, two agency accreditation bodies said new contracts, due in June, will "entitle the domestic helper to have at least one day off [per month] ... In the event that the maid is required to work on the off day, she has to be compensated". According to reports, the amount would be S$20 (US$12) and would not affect existing contracts.

This is clearly insufficient. Until the Singapore Government secures the rights of foreign domestic workers in law, it will continue to condone their exploitation.