According to Anti-Slavery Australia, approximately 40.3 million people across the globe are currently enslaved. This is the extent to which modern slavery has advanced in businesses all over the world. Thriving economies are at an increased risk of attracting more exploitation.
Out of the 40.3, nearly 24.9 million people are victims of forced labour. It affects people of all ages and communities that are unable to defend themselves against exploitation. They are forced into slavery and often subjected to harsh treatment for not complying with the expectations of their oppressors.
Let’s discuss forced labour, which is one of the major forms of modern slavery and how measures such as modern slavery training can help us prevent it.
What is forced labour?
Any form of work, slavery, or labour that people are forced to do against their will is known as forced labour. Victims working under such conditions often do not believe they are free to stop working or are scared of the coercion, threats, or deception employed by their oppressors.
It affects industries and sectors that include a lot of workers with little regulatory support. Some of the areas where forced labour may occur include:
- Domestic work
- Agriculture and fishing
- Mining and quarrying
- Construction
- Prostitution and sexual exploitation
Ways to prevent forced labour
Preventing forced labour is not easy and takes more than one step. It is a series of consecutive steps taken efficiently with a humanistic approach that can lead to its prevention. Some of these effective steps might include the following:
1. Awareness
Knowledge is the primary tool to fight against any form of exploitation. If people do not know how to define what others are going through, there is hardly anything that can be done. Raising awareness against forced labour is one of the best ways to help employees identify it, report it and allow victims and other people at risk to seek help. This can be done using modern slavery awareness training programs for all your employees. They can be helped to identify and report any such incidents.
2. Reporting
Spreading awareness helps employees know how to identify and report cases of forced labour or any form of exploitation. Understanding what the reporting processes are and which authorities to contact is necessary to preventing it. Through proper training, people can be made to understand the importance of reporting such cases and the resolution processes.
3. Collaboration
Forced labour may or may not be an isolated event depending on the industry it occurs in. For example, domestic workers and miners may be treated differently. Sometimes it can be a group of people who are involved in exploiting and forcing their victims into labour in industry. Therefore, dealing with these cases will require more than an individual organisation. It is time organisations acted together along with their suppliers and contractors to ensure no one is at risk in their operations or supply chains.
4. Support
The availability of resources to fight against forced labour is an important factor. Also, those who raise their voices must be provided with appropriate protection. Designing and implementing victim support during and after the resolution of an incident can go a long way in ensuring its prevention.
5. Compliance
Many laws and regulations require organisations to take necessary steps to ensure they are not involved in modern slavery. For example, certain businesses and entities in Australia are required to submit annual reports on the risks of modern slavery they face and the steps they took to mitigate them. Compliance with these laws and regulations can reduce the risk of such incidents in and around organisations.
How can online modern slavery training help?
Online modern slavery training is one of the simplest and time-saving ways to provide your employees with the right knowledge. It can help to define, identify, report, resolve, and prevent modern slavery in your organisation. It can be provided to all your employees, volunteers, and suppliers.
Online modern slavery training helps your employees understand the processes to follow when managing incidences in your workplace. It also helps empower them to know their rights and take appropriate actions when required. This training also establishes your reputation as a responsible employer by guiding the workforce and ensuring a safe workplace for all.
Conclusion:
Modern slavery in any of its forms is an unacceptable situation that must be stopped at all costs. If you find any instances of forced labour in and around your organisation, you are required by law to report and resolve them. For spreading more awareness, online training programs can be a simplified way to manage things.
Sentrient’s 15 minute online modern slavery and human rights awareness course provides all the necessary details to identify, report and prevent it. Contact us today and help your employees gain the appropriate knowledge.
This blog post was originally published here.
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