Labour Exploitation as a Continuum, Human Dignity, and Vulnerability

This chapter focuses on the notion of labour exploitation, following on from the previous chapter’s examination of the notions of slavery, forced labour, and trafficking in the international legal framework. While international and European instruments provide definitions of slavery, forced labour, and trafficking, the boundaries between these legal concepts are porous. Institutional attention at both international and national levels on the issue of trafficking or so-called modern slavery has increased in recent years, with the risk of overlooking the complexity of labour exploitation, which can take on different shapes and gradations. Building on these considerations, Chap. 2 unpacks the legal and theoretical conceptions of labour exploitation and the related concepts of human dignity and vulnerability. In particular, it explores these notions in relevant international and European legal instruments, as well as in significant case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), while drawing on relevant legal and social literature. In so doing, this chapter, in line with Chap. 1, highlights the conceptual framework and perspectives underlying the analysis carried out in this book.