While people often think of slavery as a scourge of the past, the reality is that 40.3 million people are in slavery globally, with at least 13,000 estimated to be based in the UK.
Anti-Slavery Day, which takes place on October 18 each year in the EU, was launched in the UK Parliament in 2010 with the aim of raising awareness of the need to eradicate trafficking for sexual exploitation, child trafficking, trafficking for forced labor, and domestic servitude. An increasing number of charities, individuals, local authorities, and police forces take action to mark Anti-Slavery Day each year.
The introduction of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 gave authorities new tools to fight modern slavery, as well as enhanced powers of prosecution against its perpetrators and improved support for victims.
A key element of the Act is Section 54 - Transparency in Supply Chains, which requires firms operating in the UK with an annual global turnover of more than £36 million to publish an annual statement on their website on the steps they are taking to address modern slavery in their operations and global supply chains.
Partnership and Pragmatic Resources
Two years ago, LEO GRC partnered with Stronger Together, a business-led, multi-stakeholder initiative to reduce modern slavery by educating and encouraging businesses to deter, detect and deal with the problem.
Stronger Together is supported by nine of the highest-profile retailers in the UK, and has recently launched a new initiative in the construction industry with key construction companies, and a new program tackling forced labor in the wine and fruit growing industries in South Africa.
Stronger Together supports businesses in taking action by providing them with guidance on what businesses can do to prevent modern slavery, signs to look out for, and what they should do if they believe someone may be being exploited. With the help of Stronger Together, any business is able to take positive steps to reduce modern slavery.
With LEO GRC, Stronger Together developed a range of eLearning courses around the subject of modern slavery. These allow businesses to train staff on key modern slavery issues at their own pace, cost-effectively, and in locations that suit them.
The modules can be tailored to the needs of the specific sector, workforce and supply chain, and more than 36,000 people around the world have benefited from their content since then. Two new general courses—for businesses in any sector-based within and outside the UK—are also now available.
Readily Available and Custom Engaging Training Programmes
As a way of raising awareness of the issues around modern slavery, Stronger Together and LEO GRC's eLearning courses offer a highly effective, bite-sized way for employees to learn how to identify risks and take the right action at the right time.
The courses explain what modern slavery is, the sectors most at risk and how learners can spot the signs of hidden labor exploitation, as well as the actions they can personally take to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.
The message is one of practical guidance, and the elearning combines video and animation to emphasize the importance of helping to eradicate labor exploitation in an impactful way that staff will remember.
The courses are designed to last around 30 minutes and provide participants with the in-depth information they need to be able to detect, deter and deal with personal and organizational risks around slavery.
By the end of the course, each learner understands what modern slavery, forced labor and hidden labor exploitation are. With a greater awareness and vigilance, they can spot the signs of exploitation and respond effectively.
For more information, visit Stronger Together’s resources or contact Stronger Together.
Stronger Together and Eukleia offer four Tackling Modern Slavery courses:
General UK version – Tackling Modern Slavery in Business
General version for businesses outside the UK – Tackling Forced Labour in Business
Supervisors – Tackling Modern Slavery in the UK
Recruiters – Tackling Modern Slavery in the UK