Waste management business Biffa has joined the Slave-Free Alliance organisation in an attempt to abolish human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
The company’s decision to join was announced yesterday (October 18) to mark Anti-Slavery Day, and the waste management company issued e-Learning training across its workforce to help managers recognise the signs of human trafficking and those who may be vulnerable.
Education packs were also sent to employees, including a guide book to help staff spot the signs of the different types of modern slavery and how to report concerns. In addition, Anti-Slavery awareness posters have been distributed to sites in multiple languages as well as an external case study highlighting the severity of the situations facing victims internationally.
Biffa’s is informing staff of what to look for in terms of modern-day slavery
Vulnerable
According to The 2018 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 136,000 people are subject to modern slavery in the UK with the waste sector being one of the most vulnerable to traffickers, alongside car washes, nail salons, agriculture and low-skilled factory work.
Similarly, a survey commissioned by the Ethical Training Initiative with Hult Research has also revealed that 77% of companies expect to find modern slavery in their operations or supply chains.
Speaking of its membership objectives, Melanie Flogdell, divisional HR director at Biffa, commented: “Businesses in all sectors are concerned about discovering workers who are victims of modern-day slavery in their supply chains and we want to ensure our staff know what to look for and how to respond.
“Modern-day slavery is a huge problem in the UK and one that every business has a responsibility to help eliminate. We’re proud to be in alliance with Hope for Justice, and strive to raise awareness, not only across our company and amongst our suppliers, but throughout the waste industry as a whole.”
Paul Callum, Director at Slave-Free Alliance, added: “We are really pleased to welcome Biffa as a founding member of the Slave-Free Alliance, which has continued to grow rapidly since our launch just a few months ago.
“We want to ensure our staff know what to look for and how to respond”
Melanie Flogdell, Divisional HR director
Biffa
“We know the waste and recycling sector has been particularly targeted by traffickers, so it is great to see leading players in the industry, like Biffa, take such strong and proactive action to protect their operations and supply chains from modern slavery. We look forward to continuing our close work with Biffa in the months and years to come.”
Membership
The alliance is led by global charity Hope for Justice, which aims to end human trafficking and modern-day slavery. The membership scheme is designed for businesses of all sizes who want to protect their employees and ensure workers are not “exploited”.
Over the last few years, Biffa has worked closely with Hope for Justice to increase awareness and training within the company; with “key successes” including a confidential whistle-blowing hot line being promoted within sites and questionnaires distributed to active suppliers.
Biffa will also be inviting its suppliers to sites over the next few months to meet with Susan Banister, Head of Business Development at the Slave-Free Alliance, in order to encourage more sign ups to the global movement.
Related links
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
