{"id":8547,"date":"2017-12-18T17:31:09","date_gmt":"2017-12-18T06:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/?p=8547"},"modified":"2019-09-27T13:58:15","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T03:58:15","slug":"modern-slavery-in-australia-the-issue-the-legislation-and-what-to-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/us\/2017\/12\/18\/modern-slavery-in-australia-the-issue-the-legislation-and-what-to-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Modern slavery in Australia – the issue, the legislation and what to do about it"},"content":{"rendered":"

The term \u201cModern Slavery\u201d has been in the news a lot lately. Companies all over the world \u2013 many of them household names \u2013 have been implicated in stories of human rights abuses, people trafficking and worker exploitation. In response, a number of countries including Australia, have developed or are planning to develop legislation to tackle the issue. Yet, despite the regularity of the stories and the prospect of legislation, many companies remain unsure of what modern slavery is, whether they are contributing to the problem and, if so, what they should be doing about it.<\/p>\n

This brief<\/a> is intended as a quick guide to help you get to grips with the issue, introduce you to the prospective legislation here in Australia, and outline the steps you can take to prepare your organisations for its arrival.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

WHAT IS MODERN SLAVERY?<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Slavery has officially been illegal since its abolition 100 years ago. Yet in that time, rather than stopping altogether, it has evolved and moved out of sight, adapting to today\u2019s global market and open borders. The phrase \u2018Modern Slavery\u2019 gained traction when the UK government introduced its Modern Slavery Act in 2015, aiming to consolidate the different forms that slavery takes under one umbrella term. The UK Act encompasses human trafficking; servitude and forced or compulsory labour such as debt bondage; child labour; and sexual exploitation.<\/p>\n

THE UK MODERN SLAVERY ACT<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Efforts to address modern slavery are being made all over the world, but so far the UK\u2019s Modern Slavery Act is considered the leading example. Aligned to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Act has created a legal obligation on business to take responsibility for exploitation that may occur as a result of their operations, products or services (1). In doing so, it has successfully raised the profile of modern slavery, and companies have been motivated to act, not only by the requirements of the legislation, but by the opportunity to publicly demonstrate commitment to and leadership on human rights issues.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AUSTRALIA?<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Australia has quickly followed in the footsteps of the UK, with an enquiry into an Australian Modern Slavery Act in early 2017 receiving more than 200 submissions (2). This led to the government\u2019s proposal for a Modern Slavery in Supply Chains Reporting Requirement. The consultation process for the proposal was completed in October 2017, and included national roundtable discussions with over 100 business and civil society organisations. The resulting legislation, due to be in place by 2019, is widely supported, reflecting a desire to eradicate the risk of modern slavery from business supply chains.<\/p>\n

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT THE AUSTRALIAN LEGISLATION TO LOOK LIKE?<\/strong><\/h6>\n

The proposed legislation, the Modern Slavery in Supply Chains Reporting Requirement, will be a more prescriptive version of the UK Act. Its main features are as follows:<\/p>\n