Submission on the Consultation on Modern Slavery and Worker Exploitation 2022

7 June 2022

This consultation was on the Government’s proposed plan for modern slavery and worker exploitation legislation.

• We support the proposal for legislation on modern slavery and worker exploitation in organisations and supply chains.

• We support the proposal for mandatory reporting from medium and large entities on how they have investigated modern slavery and worker exploitation in their organisations and supply chains, and what actions they have taken in response. We also agree that although due diligence may not be mandatory for them, small entities should be encouraged to voluntarily investigate their supply chains and operations, and release information on their findings.

• The reports from medium and large entities must be made available to the public, and the information from the annual reports compiled for accessibility either via a central register of compliance statements run by the Government, or an annual summary document released by the Government. Reviews of the legislation should be a collaborative effort between the Government, the entities, and the public.

• Appropriate penalties for non-compliance must be in place from the beginning and should aim to encourage entities to proactively engage with the legislation.