Businesses get aid to stamp out slavery in workplace
WITH AN estimated 25m people worldwide trapped in forced labour, the University of Hull has launched a new training programme for businesses in the hope of preventing further exploitation.
The university’s Wilberforce Institute has played a key role in raising awareness of slavery practices, many of which are hidden beneath a complex network of suppliers and producers.
Cristina Talens, director of modern slavery risk assessments at the institute, said: “It’s shocking to think that many of us are unwittingly coming into contact with slavery on a daily basis.
“The areas of our lives tainted by forced labour, labour exploitation and human trafficking are many and include the hospitality, domestic, beauty and construction industries.
“Forced labour is prevalent within the private economy, lying hidden within the complex supply chains that produce many of our household goods and services.
“Under the Modern Slavery Act, bigger businesses in the UK have a legal obligation to report how they are addressing modern slavery in their global supply chains.
“But with an estimated 25m people trapped in forced labour across the world, according to the International Labour Organisation, all companies have a moral responsibility to eliminate slavery from their operations.”
The online training package forms part of the Wilberforce Institute’s It’s Time to Break the Chain project, which challenges companies across all sectors to tackle slavery practices in their supply chains.
The training is based on intelligence gathered from the institute’s global research into exploitative labour and the programme provides much-needed guidance for businesses to help them improve their reporting and monitoring of modern slavery.
Ms Talens added: “This training helps businesses build awareness around this most-pressing human-rights issue. These practices can be difficult to identify, often lying hidden within sophisticated supply chains. ”