Slavery Bill 'Not Fit For Purpose' - Queen's Report

Current anti-slavery legislation in the UK is not fit for purpose, according to a report release by Queen's University Belfast.

The researchers behind a new report into forced labour in cannabis cultivation and the food and construction industries in the UK are calling on the government to address the issue in its forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill.

The report from Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Law explores how businesses make money from forced labour.

Workers are forced to work against their will and face penalties, ranging from the loss of rights or privileges, or loss of their job to physical violence, if they refuse to co-operate.

The report says those forced to work in Cannabis 'grow-ops' are usually Vietnamese children and adults, smuggled into the UK and coerced to work through debt-bondage and threats to their families.

Speaking ahead of the report, Professor Jean Allain from the School of Law said: "As the Government prepares its Modern Slavery Bill, this is a timely analysis of how certain businesses in the UK profit from forced labour. While a great deal of attention has rightly been paid to the experiences of victims, very little consideration has been given to how people actually make money using forced labour. This understanding of the business dynamics of forced labour is crucial if we are going to try to end such exploitation.

"Businesses use forced labour to make money, and they do this in one of two ways – by either minimising costs as a result of offering minimal pay and failing to provide basic entitlements such as pensions or sick pay; or generating revenue by charging workers for additional services, including visas, travel expenses, accommodation or transport to and from the workplace.

"The UK is unique as its percentage of agency workers is more than double that of any other EU country. That sector of the labour market which works at or near the minimum wage and often on zero hour contracts is susceptible to forced labour. This is the reality of a 'flexible workforce' for people at the wrong end of the labour market.

"While the report explores forced labour in three specific sectors, it is an issue right across the UK economy. Forced labour in supply chains of UK businesses is something that policy makers must address and the upcoming Modern Slavery Bill is the ideal opportunity to do so. I hope that today’s report will inform that process."

(IT/MH)