Construction is one of the most at risk sectors with 18% of global forced labour victims working in the industry
With an estimated 49.6 million victims of modern slavery worldwide and an estimated 122,000 victims in the UK, countries are moving to make businesses more accountable for abuses in their supply chains. Governments around the world are insisting on anti-slavery transparency disclosures with a steady increase in criminal and civil enforcement actions being taken. No longer can businesses relinquish their responsibilities by turning a blind eye to what’s happening in the supply chain.
The built environment is considered high risk for modern slavery and wider exploitation due to the huge demand for labour, a severe skills shortage, complex supply chains and the prevalence of indirect and self-employment. The Unseen Modern Slavery helpline has reported a 35% increase in calls related to the construction sector. Operation Cardinas unravelled how an organised crime group placed more than 500 victims of modern slavery onto major construction sites in the South East between 2008 – 2019.
Consider your global supply chains – according to the Global Slavery Index 2023, at risks goods imported by the G20 are worth US$468 billion. Some of the big high-risk categories include electronics (US$243.6 billion), garments (US$147.9 billion) and solar panels (US$14.8 billion).
Do you understand your responsibilities under the Modern Slavery Act 2015? Do you understand the potential implications of the growing wave of global due diligence legislation on your own supply chains?Do your employees and supply chain know how to spot the signs of modern slavery? What can you do to set up your sites to combat modern slavery? What due diligence can you demonstrate? Do you understand where the risks lie in your supply chain? How do you embed best practice in combatting modern slavery in your procurement processes and contract management?
A practical guide to
Addressing modern slavery and labour exploitation in the built environment
These resources will support your due diligence approach by helping you to prevent, identify, manage, mitigate and remediate modern slavery and labour exploitation risks, across your operations and supply chains.
These headings align with the key themes outlined in BS 25700 – Organisational Responses Modern Slavery.
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1. Policy
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The Modern Slavery Act
E-learning Module
