The Home Office has brought out one or two-page fact sheets covering various workplaces for spotting the signs of slavery. Fact sheets for printing to show in staff areas cover farming, fishing, construction, hospitality (hotels), manufacturing (such as food processing), recruitment and restaurants.
Download the ‘resources for industry’ at gov.uk. Questions raised in the sheets include:
Is the worker in possession of their legal documents (passport, identification and their own bank account details) or are these being held by someone else? Victims will often be forced to use false or forged identity documents.
Are there a group of workers who have their wages paid into the same bank account? This may be sign of the illegal gangmaster collecting all their wages. Are they having wages taken off them for digs, food or to repay supposed debt?
Are a group of workers dropped off or picked up at unusual times of the day, are they all taken to the same property? Does the person look malnourished, unkempt, or appear withdrawn? Are they suffering physical injuries? Do they have few personal possessions and often wear the same clothes? What clothes they do wear may not be suitable for their work.
Is the person withdrawn or appear frightened, unable to answer questions directed at them or speak for themselves and/or an accompanying third party speaks for them? If they do speak, are they inconsistent in the information they provide, including basic facts such as the address where they live? Do they appear under the control/influence of others and rarely interact?
If you think you work with or employ someone who may be a victim of Modern Slavery or forced labour you can call a helpline on 0800 0121 700 and talk through your concerns or visit modernslavery.co.uk.
You can check if a gangmaster is licensed (and should be able to provide a number) with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority as a labour provider at gla.gov.uk.
The GLAA was recently given new police-style powers that allow GLAA officers to carry out arrests rather than refer offenders to police. GLAA Chief Executive Paul Broadbent said: “Modern slavery is abhorrent; it is described by the Prime Minister as ‘the greatest human rights issue of our time’. Much of it is controlled by organised crime gangs who have links to drug smuggling, and gun violence. But those who profit and perpetrate slavery and exploitation should now be looking over their shoulders because the creation of the GLAA is a significant step in our desire to see it eradicated.”
Estimates put the number of slaves in the UK between 10,000 to 13,000 but the GLAA believes it could be even higher. Slavery and labour exploitation have infiltrated legitimate supply chains, the authority suggests.
