Industry partners join forces to campaign against modern slavery
15.10.24 3 min read
Our parent company Morgan Sindall Group, has joined forces with UK anti-slavery charity Unseen and 10 major construction companies and labour agencies to raise awareness of modern slavery on construction sites.
They have worked in partnership with Unseen to create a short film to highlight the everyday reality of victims and demonstrate some of the key signs for construction site teams to look out for.
The companies involved in this initiative – Berkeley Group, Laing O’Rourke, Skanska, Kier Group, Galliford Try, VGC Group, Danny Sullivan Group, Randstad, Hays and Carmichael – recognise the collective responsibility of businesses at the forefront of the construction sector to educate the wider supply chain and end modern slavery on UK construction sites.
The short film is being released to coincide with Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October, which serves as an annual opportunity to raise awareness of human trafficking and exploitation.
Forced labour prevalent in construction sector
Modern slavery is common in many sectors in the UK and, according to data from Unseen, the construction sector is in the top three. The widespread use of sub-contracted labour, high turnover of workers, and complex supply chains can all serve to inhibit transparency and increase the risk of labour abuse and exploitation.
Labour exploitation comprised 35% of all modern slavery cases and 58% of potential victims reported to the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline in 2023.
The released film focuses on common signs of forced labour, including:
• Working excessively long hours.
• Not having a contract.
• Receiving deductions from pay.
• Lacking adequate qualifications and training.
The aim is for this film to be used across the built environment sector, as part of both training programmes and site inductions to raise awareness of this issue and thereby increase the chances of exploitative activity being reported.
Andrew Wallis OBE, Chief Executive of Unseen, said:
“I am heartened to see major construction firms stepping up to provide resources and tools to combat modern slavery. This not only raises awareness but also empowers smaller companies at the site level where the impact is most profound.”