Answer Happy

7. Examine the following case study and write an analysis clearly highlighting at least 10 points where decent work violations might have occurred. A group of 7 young men of Surinamese origin were taken to Barbuda hidden in the hull of a fishing boat. The men who had only the clothes on their backs, their cellular phones and a small amount of cash on them were invited by their mutual friend for a day trip to an offshore island. Some of them told their families that they would be back in the evening, while others lived alone and had no need to advise of their whereabouts. The friends all speak some English, but Dutch is their main language. While crossing over to the nearby offshore island to enjoy shrimp and rum, the friends were suddenly told to hide in the hull, as the coast guard was passing and there were 2 persons more than the number of persons the vessel was licensed to carry. The boatman was heard speaking to the authorities shortly after, but even after the other vessel had passed, the pilot of the vessel advised that the friends should remain under cover. Several hours later, and amidst a mixture of trepidation, hunger and suspicion, the men went to enquire as to why they had not arrived at their destination. They were told that plans had changed since the Surinamese coast guard appeared to be keeping an eye on the vessel. The vessel eventually docked at Low Bay, Barbuda. The men were met by a couple who took them to a house where they ate and slept in 2 bedrooms. The following day, the men were all given work clothing and taken to a job site where they were told to fall into differing roles. Though they did not agree with the situation, their friend told them to cooperate, as they had to evade authorities until their vessel could be fixed. They worked in a closed compound for several months without interacting with anyone else. They were provided with clothing, food and shelter, but worked 7 days weekly from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm. The men could not use their cellular phones since they were outside of the coverage area. They continued to share the 2 bedrooms. Interestingly, the pilot of the vessel did not spend all of his time with the others which caused them to suspect that they might have been trafficked. Nevertheless, he reassured them that if they were discovered, they would be imprisoned for entering the country illegally. They were assured that they would be paid once the boat was repaired. [10 marks)