Bonded Labor (Noun)
Meaning
A practice in which employers give high-interest loans to workers whose entire families then labor at low wages to pay off the debt; the practice is illegal in the United States.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The human rights organization launched a campaign to eradicate bonded labor from the agricultural sector in developing countries.
- Activists argued that the government was not doing enough to protect workers from the exploitation of bonded labor.
- After a decade of toiling on the plantation, the family was finally able to pay off their debt and escape the cycle of bonded labor.
- Many workers are unaware that bonded labor is illegal in the United States and continue to be exploited by unscrupulous employers.
- The International Labor Organization reported a significant decline in bonded labor worldwide, thanks to concerted efforts by governments and advocacy groups.