Slavery, neo-slavery and business ethics

Abstract

Despite the campaigns of the 19th century, there are currently millions of people that are enslaved across the globe. Some of these slaves are directly engaged in the hospitality sector, in other cases they are indirectly associated with the hospitality firms through sub-contracted supplier organisations. In addition, some of the industry’s employees experience a kind of neo-slavery, due to low pay and low levels of personal wealth. Although they are free, their circumstances limit their power to resist unfair treatment and poverty pay rates. Hospitality organisations concerned with ethical business practices are taking an active stand against the use of slaves, directly or indirectly, and they adopt human resource management practices that pay wages that allow the workforce to live at an acceptable standard. This paper highlights some moral and ethical positions relating to slavery and neo-slavery, and the priorities for organisational policies.