Horrifyingly, many Australian companies have been found to be non-compliant with the Modern Slavery Act 2018, a landmark piece of legislation that is meant to protect workers from forced labor! A review of about 100 companies across four high risk business sectors revealed over 50% had overlooked "obvious modern day slavery risks in their operations."
Sign now and urge the Australian government to strengthen the current Modern Slavery Act, create effective ways of enforcing it, and hold companies accountable for these human rights violations!
The business sectors considered at high risk for forced labor were "garments from China, rubber gloves from Malaysia, seafood from Thailand and fresh produce from Australia,"
Whatever form modern slavery takes, it is unnaceptable. Companies have no excuse in not taking the proper steps to ensure this isn't happening. Under current law, companies with an annual consolidated revenue of more than $100 million are required to report annually on the risks of modern slavery in their opperations and action steps they are taking to address them. But according to this report, the law is essentially being ignored, the government is not holding non-complying companies accountable, and workers are suffering because of it.
The threat of COVID-19 and the economic fallout from the pandemic has persisted for two years, and so too has the threat of modern slavery in Australia. Uncertainty is a familiar feeling for workers, opening them up to manipulation and exploitation from employers. Unfair, unsafe, and unjust working conditions that are going unchecked, allowing modern slavery to thrive.
Sign now and tell the Australian Government to amend the Modern Slavery Act 2018 and stop letting big companies get away with modern slavery!
