Labor Exploitation Vocabulary

noun the practice of holding people in servitude or partial slavery, especially to work off a debt or other obligation

• The practice of peonage was outlawed in the United States in 1867.
• Some argue that certain industries still rely on peonage to exploit cheap labor.
• I heard that company is known for their peonage tactics.
• Being stuck in a dead-end job can feel like a form of peonage.

noun a person who supervises and controls workers, especially through threats or harsh treatment

• The overseer on the plantation was known as a strict slave driver.
• My boss is a real slave driver, always pushing us to work harder.
• That supervisor is a total slave driver, making us work overtime every day.
• The relentless deadlines felt like they were being enforced by a slave driver.

noun the labor or work performed by individuals who are in a bonded labor situation

• Bonded labour refers to the practice of individuals being forced to work in order to repay a debt.
• Some people are trapped in bonded labour where they have to work to pay off a debt.
• Being stuck in bonded labour is like being in debt slavery.
• The weight of bonded labour can feel like chains holding you back from freedom.