Worker-Driven Social Responsibility: Addressing State Limitations to Corporate Accountability for Unfree Labor

Author: Rothchild, Tatiana

Abstract: How can the international anti-human trafficking movement foster institutional accountability for unfree labor and exploitation in an economic system that bends heavily to corporate influence? The limitations of state influence in economic spheres have been discussed by political economists as the power of corporations has grown. Scholars have proposed that accountability in complex international systems relies on worker-driven, grassroots movements rather than (inter)government agencies. This chapter presents a theoretical critical review of these limitations of the state examined around the issues of forced labor and exploitation and further argues that US influence in anti-trafficking spaces obscures the importance of grassroots worker movements. As the US seeks to expand its influence, its anti-trafficking policy recommendations (within reports like the TIP and TDA) should be approached critically and with caution. Future research and international anti-trafficking work should explore ways to center, empower, institutionalize, and internationalize worker driven grassroots movements.

Keywords: human trafficking, forced labor, unfree labor, exploitation, corporate accountability, state coercion, scorecard diplomacy, international political economy