This week, the Home Office has published its annual report on modern slavery, which states that there has been a huge increase in modern slavery offences recorded in England and Wales over the past year. Between March 2018 and March 2019, 5,059 modern slavery offences were recorded in England and Wales—a 49% increase on the previous year.
The Government estimates that currently tens of thousands of people are in modern slavery in the UK, and it is particularly prevalent in sectors such as construction, waste and manufacturing.
Companies should be aware of their obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Under the Act, commercial organisations with an annual turnover exceeding £36m are required to produce an annual transparency statement detailing the steps taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in its own business or in its supply chains. Companies also need to ensure they carry out due diligence checks when engaging providers, and consider enhancing their contracts with suppliers to specify the steps that should be taken to prevent slavery in the supply chain.
Ashfords are proud to be partnering with MRW on its "Root it Out" Anti-Slavery campaign to help waste management and recycling sector participants with their drive to root out unscrupulous practices. For further information:
https://www.ashfords.co.uk/news-and-media/general/fighting-modern-day-slavery-in-the-waste-sector
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