Modern day slavery

Date: 2nd Thursday, February, 2017

‘Modern-day slavery’ could almost be accused of being an oxymoron – but unfortunately, it isn’t.  It is 2017 yet in some respects we still exist in the dark ages!  Most people would be astonished to hear that slavery, for example, still occurs across the world and surprisingly, here at home in the UK.  Following the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, the British Empire changed its attitude towards personal freedom.  Forced labour was a thing of the past – well, in theory.  To hear that unscrupulous people continue this barbaric act is mind-blowingly surreal.  According to the Global Slavery Index which conducted surveys in 167 countries, nearly 46 million people around the world are trapped in modern slavery.  This eye-opening statistic ranks the UK as the 127th offender with an estimated 11,700 people considered trapped in forced labour.  Despite legislation and the risk of criminal proceedings, some consider the practise of manipulating and incarcerating people for financial benefit is worth the risk.  It is mediaeval – or perhaps just evil?    To combat this practise in business in the UK, a multi-stakeholder initiative - Stronger Together - run by the GLA (Gangmasters Licencing Authority) and ALP (Agency Labour Providers) is thankfully working to highlight the seriousness of the issue to the Government.  The success of this initiative will no doubt be determined partly through heightened awareness and education.   Over the past 18 months the government, in partnership with the GLAA and the ALP, have been delivering workshops across the country focused on what ‘The Modern Slavery Act 2015’ and ‘Immigration Act 2016’ mean to UK businesses.  The focus of the initiative is to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers through forced labour.  As a large employer, we take this issue very seriously and have put processes in place to identify possible suspicious practises.   Ultimately, it is every individual’s responsibility to be aware of this and to raise the alarm if it is thought that something suspicious may be taking place.  Collectively, we can weed out the rogue gangmasters and banish slavery it all its forms for good.

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For more information please contact:

Neil Yorke
The Best Connection Group Ltd
e-mail: neil.yorke@thebestconnection.co.uk
www.thebestconnection.co.uk

or

Jan Blann
Market Notions
Tel/Fax. 01926 843693
Mobile.  07976 284248
e-mail: jan@marketnotions.com

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