To mark Anti-Slavery Day 2020, Unseen is calling on more businesses to take forced labour more seriously, asking them #WhatAreYouDoing to tackle modern slavery?
Forced labour is the most common form of slavery in the UK and goods produced using forced labour in supply chains – from clothing to fruit and vegetables – can find their way into mainstream shops and businesses.
Some of these companies could be doing much more to address this ballooning problem.
- Around half the reports to Unseen’s Modern Slavery Helpline concern forced labour.
- More than 3,700 of the UK’s biggest businesses don’t have a modern slavery statement, saying what they’re doing about modern slavery, even though they are obliged to by law.*
Says Unseen Director Justine Currell: “With the huge resources at their disposal, shops and businesses everywhere can help us address this shocking issue and alleviate the misery it causes. Businesses big and small need to do better.”
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
To mark #AntiSlaveryDay 2020 our campaign is highlighting forced labour issues in retail, construction, finance, recruitment and food and agriculture, as a way of showing modern slavery touches all sectors.
Using the hashtag #WhatAreYouDoing? we’re asking people to share our social media posts – tagging a favourite or frequently-used shop or business and asking them what they are doing about modern slavery.
WHAT YOU CAN DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL
1) Please share our social media posts on your personal accounts and tag a company of your choice – a frequently-used or favourite shop, for example.
2) You could use the following wording:
Dear @examplebusiness. #WhatAreYouDoing to tackle modern slavery? Please let me know using the hashtag #WhatWeAreDoing and join @UnseenUK’s campaign to celebrate positive action and help more businesses towards slavery-free operations.
3) If you want to promote our campaign on Instagram, we recommend:
i) Tagging the company of your choice in the comment section of the relevant post.
ii) Sharing our post to your story, so that your friends and followers can get involved in the campaign too.
4) Please share our posts as many times as you can, and on all your social media accounts. When we focus on food, for example, perhaps there are several relevant companies you’d like tag – a supermarket, say, or a restaurant chain.
WHAT YOU CAN DO AS A COMPANY
- Share our social media and tell people what you are doing to tackle modern slavery using the hashtag #WhatWeAreDoing and tagging @UnseenUK
- Work with Unseen’s expert team on your approach to modern slavery. Unseen works with companies big and small on their approach to forced labour, including household names such as BT, Tesco, Nationwide, Aldi, Sir Robert McAlpine and British Land.Find out more at www.unseenuk.org/back2source or contact our Business Engagement team.
LINKS TO UNSEEN’S SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Although many businesses take their responsibilities seriously when it comes to modern slavery – among them Unseen’s corporate partners – there are others who could do better, using their often considerable resources to address forced labour in supply chains. Spread the word on social media:
ABOUT ANTI SLAVERY DAY
Anti-Slavery Day, on Sunday 18 October, is an annual opportunity to raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery, and encourage government, local authorities, companies, charities and individuals to do what they can to address the problem. It was created by the Anti-Slavery Day Act in 2010.
HOW BUSINESSES CAN DO?
The Transparency in Supply Chains provision in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 seeks to address the role of businesses in preventing modern slavery from occurring in their supply chains and organisations. Please click here for more information about the Warwickshire Modern Slavery Business Pledge.