Some of the world's top brands including confectioners, jewellers and cosmetics giants are failing to disclose slavery and trafficking risks in their operations and supply chains, British anti-slavery experts said yesterday.
Under Britain's 2015 Modern Slavery Act, all businesses with a turnover of more than 36 million pounds ($48 million) must produce an annual statement outlining actions they have taken to combat slavery in their supply chains. CORE, a watchdog on corporate accountability, said a study of 50 big name brands showed many statements were short on detail and lacked transparency.
Five appeared not to have filed any statement. An estimated 24.9 million people are in forced labour globally, according to the International Labour Organization. The study looked at statements from companies sourcing raw materials linked to labour exploitation, including cocoa from West Africa, mined gold, mica from India, Indonesian palm oil and tea from Assam.
CORE said just over 3,000 companies had met a Sept. 30 deadline for filing statements under the Modern Slavery Act, meaning thousands had failed to comply.
