When Bad Labour Conditions Become Exploitation: Lessons Learnt from the Chowdury Case

Decent work can turn into bad labour and bad labour can degenerate into labour exploitation. A situation of labour exploitation is not static, nor are bad labour and decent work. Migrant workers, especially those at the low end of the labour market, are more prone to end up in a situation of exploitation caused by a complex array of (interrelated) factors, such as labour market demands for flexibility and migration opportunities, which flourish in today’s globalised world.¹ When migrant workers are in the host country for only a limited period of time, it is more difficult for them to become