FORCED LABOUR SITUATION IN SOME PRISONS AND … · FORCED LABOUR SITUATION IN SOME PRISONS AND MILITARY UNITS ... ‐and Prisons 407, 417, and 421 of the ... Prison labour Legislations

FORCEDLABOURSITUATIONINSOMEPRISONSANDMILITARYUNITS

INMONGOLIA

Agar‐ErdeneGankhuyagPolicyAnalysisandHumanRightsEducationDivisionNationalHumanRightsCommissionofMongolia

NHRCM– whoweare

• TheNHRCisaninstitutionmandatedwiththepromotionandprotectionofhumanrightsandchargedwithmonitoringovertheimplementationoftheprovisionsonhumanrightsandfreedom,providedintheConstitutionofMongolia,lawsandinternationaltreatiesofMongolia.

NHRCM– whatwedo• Toconductaninquiryonthebasisofacomplaintlodgedtothe

Commissionregardinghumanrightsviolation,• Toexaminethecomplaintsregardingtoviolationsofhumanrights,• Tomakearesearchonthematichumanrightsissues,• Toputforwardrecommendationandproposalsonwhetherlawsor

administrativedecisionsareinconformitywiththekeyhumanrightsprinciples;

• Tocooperatewithinternational,regionalandnationalhumanrightsinstitutions;

• TowriteareportonhumanrightssituationinMongolia• Tomarketlawsandinternationaltreatiesregardingtohumanrightsto

thegeneralpublic• Toencourageactivitiesofaccesstoeducationofhumanrights• ToencourageratificationofInternationalHumanRightsTreatyor

accessiontoabovementionedinstrument.

LegalbasisinMongoliaregardingforcedlabour

ConstitutionofMongoliaClause16.4ofArticle16“…Nooneshallbeunlawfullyforcedtowork.”

MongoliaratifiedILOConventionNo29andConventionNo105in2005.

Monitoringobjects

From12June2013to2September2013,NHRCMconductedmonitoring

‐attheConstruction‐engineeringUnit339and340oftheGeneralStaffoftheArmedForce‐ andPrisons407,417,and421oftheGeneralAuthorityforImplementingCourtDecisions,

Prisonlabour

Legislations• LawonCourtDecisionEnforcement:“Prisonauthorityshallimplementthefollowingmandateswithrespecttothearrest,convictionandsentence”andarticle8.24stipulatesthat“toletinmatescarryoutforcedlabour andprovidepracticalexperiencestoinmatesinthefieldtheyhaveworkedin”.

• LawonCourtDecisionEnforcement:‐inmateswhoareinmaximumsecurityandmediumsecurityprisonscanonlyundertakeworkorservicesintheperimeteroftheprison,‐inmateswhoareinlowsecuritycanworkoutsideoftheprisonandcanworkbasedoncontractssignedwithindividualsorlegalentities.

• Regulationgoverninglabour arrangementsandremunerationforprisoninmates‐inmatesshallreceiveafixedminimumwageforpart‐timeworkasreflectedintheLawonLabourMinimumWage‐iftheyundertakeovertimework,theyshallbeprovidedwithadditionalpaymentwhenundertakingworkbasedoncontractswithindividuals,legalentitiesordomesticfactory.

Currentsituation

• salariesarenotcompletelyallocatedtotheinmates

‐someagreements,thewageoftheinmatesisequaltotheminimumwageofthetime,butthepayrollsindicatesthateachinmatewaspaidonly25‐50percentofthetotalmonthlysalarythatshouldbeissued,and50‐75percentwasspentforthecostofotheractivitiesofthePrison.

• an inmateshallnotbepaidfortheworkdoneonthebuildingandconstructionandfatiguedutyconductedonthebasisofinternalresourcesofthecourtdecisionenforcementorganisation andprison,

• shallbepaidfortheworkdoneonthebasisofanagreementofservice.However,inmateswhoareworkingdailywithintheprison(cook,stoker,driver,janitor,etc.)areworkingwithoutasalary.

• AlthoughClause121.1oftheLawonCourtDecisionEnforcementstatesthat,“Inmatesshallbepaidasalaryappropriatetotheamountandqualityoftheworkhe/shehasdone,”therearemanycasesinwhichinmates’labour isnotevaluatedappropriatelyortheyarenotpaidfortheworkhe/shehasdone.

RecommendationsTotheMinisterofJusticeofMongolia:

• AlignthedraftLawonImprisonmentProcedureswithILOConventionsNo.29andNo.105onthe“Prohibitionofforcedlabour”inordertoarrangelabourrelationofinmates,andaswellastomakeotherlegalamendments.

• TheLawonCourtDecisionEnforcementandarticle8containsthedutiesandjurisdictionoftheauthorityforImplementingCourtDecisions.Inadditionarticle8.2.4specifiesthatinmatescanworkcompulsoryandobtaincertainworkexperience.Thisprovisionallowsfortheforcedlabourofinmates.Therefore,thisregulationshouldbechangedorshallnotbeincludedinanewdraftlaw;

• Article121.3oftheLawonCourtDecisionEnforcementstatesthataccordingtoarticle121.2aninmatewhoisworkingataprisonfactoryshallreceivehis/herwagedirectlyintohis/herbankaccountafterallallocationsaresettled.Atthispointtheterm“allallocations”isnotclearandthereforeshouldbechangedornotincludedinanewdraftlaw.

• Disciplinarypunishmentsstatedinarticles127.1.1and127.1.2oftheLawonCourtDecisionEnforcementrequiringinmatestoworkwithoutwages,andtheuseofpoorworkingconditionsasadisciplinarymeasurecontraveneinternationallaw.Therefore,thosearticlesshouldbechangedorshouldnotbeincludedinadraftlaw;

TotheGeneralAuthorityforImplementingCourtDecisions:

• Inmatesarerequiredpayafeeforelectricity,heating,cleaning,water,transportation,vocationaltraininganditsrelatedstudies,aswellasanydamagetothecorrectionalfacility,andtherepaymentofdebtschargedbythecourt.Althoughtheregulationswithregardtoinmate labourstandardswerechangedbyRegulationA/32from6February2013,notfeelimitwasplacedonthedeductionsunderArticle121.3.Itisrecommendedtheregulationsbeamendedtobringthedeductionsfromthewagesofinmates intolinewithArticle63oftheLabourLaw;

• Undertakeregularmonitoringofnetandgrosswages,takingmeasurestoincreasewagestomeetminimumstandards.

• Thewagesofinmatesworkingundercontractswithindividualsandsmallenterprisesareallocatedtothecorrectional facilitiesincashandnotviabanktransfer,contraveninglawsandregulations,suchasarticle121.2oftheLawonCourtDecision Enforcement”statingthatawageforworkbasedonemploymentcontractsshouldbepaidviabanktransfertotheinmate’saccount.

Forcedlabour inmilitaryunits

Legislations• LawonArmedForce:,“WiththeconsentoftheCommander‐in‐ChiefoftheArmedForceandunderthedecisionofthecabinetmemberinchargeofdefensesomemilitaryunitscanbeinvolvedinfatiguedutyandconstructionworkwithoutweakeningcombatreadinessofthearmedforces.”

• Ruletoinvolvemilitaryunitsandorganisations inbusinessactivities: “...somemilitaryunitsandorganisations outsideoftheunit’ssitebasedonagreementsbythegovernmentandprivateorganisations implementingprojectsthatareimportantforeconomicandsocialdevelopmentofMongolia,shallmeaninvolvingmilitaryunitandorganisation inbusinessactivities.”

Currentsituation

‐ salariesarenotallocatedtotheconscripts

Militaryunitordersconscriptedservicementodoworkforaconstructionsitethroughsigningacontractwithindividualsorlegalbodies,butthesalaryisnotallocatedtotheactualconscriptedservicemen.

‐worksarenotpurelymilitarycharacter‐ andnon‐voluntaryworks

Duringthemonitoring, itwasfoundthatthemilitaryconscriptedservicemenhadnotsignedanycontractswithindividuals, or privateenterprisesormilitaryunits.Buttheyare involvedinseveralbuildingandconstructionprojectsbymilitaryconscriptedservicemenforindividualsandprivateenterprises.

‐ workovertime‐ Fromthequestionnaire,theNHRCMhasfoundthatmilitaryconscriptedservicemenoftenworkadditionalhoursincludingcarryingoutmilitaryhouseholddutiesandconstructionandmaintenancework.

‐ Inordertomeetcontractdeadlinesconscriptedservicemenarerequiredtoworkmorethan8hoursperday.

RecommendationsTotheStateGreatKhural:

• Article4.3oftheLawofArmedForcesofMongoliashouldbeamended,addingaclausetoensuretheworkingconditionsandwagesofmilitaryconscriptedservicemenundertakinganon‐militaryrelatedwork,isinlinewiththatofordinarycitizens.

TothePresidentofMongolia:

• Article2ofthe''Regulationontheparticipationofmilitaryunits,organisationinwork''enactedasAnnexofDecreeNo.153ofPresidentofMongoliaon1999isinbreachofthearticlesoftheinternationaltreatiesthatMongoliahasaccededto,asitallowsthe''participationofmilitaryunitsandorganisationsineconomicwork”.Theseworksaredefinedinthelawtomeancontractualworkoutsideofmilitarybasesbymilitaryunitsfor a stateorprivateenterprisewhoisimplementingaprojectsignificantforthedevelopmentofMongolia’seconomyandsociety.

• .ItisrecommendedthatArticle2oftheRegulationaboveshouldbeamendedtoalignwiththeregulationsinILO29and105Conventions,immediately.

TotheMinistryofDefenseandGeneralStaffofArmedForcesofMongolia:

• OnlythePresidentofMongoliahasthepowertomakechangestoregulationsonmilitaryunitsandorganisationsoftheArmedForcesofMongolia,undertakingnon‐militaryrelatedworksincluding householdandreconstructionworks,bytheArticle13.1.8oftheLawonArmedForcesofMongolia,thustoannultheact#512of2010,whichwasissuedbythechiefoftheGeneralstaffofArmedForcesofMongoliaandwasoutofhisjurisdiction.

• ItisrecommendedthattheMinisterandGeneralstaffallocatewagesofnolessthantheminimumwagetoconscriptedservicemenundertakingnon‐militaryworks(household,reconstruction)andtoensurethatsocialsecurityisarrangedinaccordancewiththerules.

• ThePresidentofMongoliaistheCommanderinChiefoftheArmedForcesofMongolia.

Validationmeetings

• TheNHRCofMongoliaheldtwovalidationmeetingswithrepresentativesfromcorrespondingbodiesonOctober17,2013andonOctober21,2013.

Thankyou.