Research tackles modern slavery in global supply chains

RMIT University research is tackling modern slavery and unacceptable work conditions in global supply chains, including the Australian cleaning industry.

SDGs

A world-wide issue

The Australian Government has joined the global push to eradicate modern slavery, with more than 25 million people currently working in forced labour in global and local supply chains.

Locally, forced and bonded labour, along with poverty wages have been uncovered in Australia's meat and cleaning industries, with eight government inquiries since 2016.

RMIT research tackling modern slavery

Associate Professor Shelley Marshall, Director of RMIT’s Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRIGHT) has led several collaborative projects that have directly informed policy and legislative change, and government and enterprise practice in Australia and overseas.

Reducing modern slavery with new digital and enforcement technologies

This project identified that better enforcement tools were needed to improve regulation in Australia’s meat and cleaning industries.

Funded by an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Shelley is assessing how advances in digital technologies can help labour regulators to reduce modern slavery.

The research has led to concrete regulation, accountability and checks to improve working conditions for cleaning industry employees.

Marshall partnered with the United Workers Union, as well as the Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF), a multi-stakeholder industry body represents cleaning, property and investment companies and unions in Australia. Members work together to address labour abuses and modern slavery.

The collaborative team have been assessing how CAF’s certification program for cleaning companies can be applied in the university sector, as well as the extent to which Australian universities have adopted effective measures to identify, mitigate and address risks of modern slavery and labour exploitation.

Key research findings

Marshall said the research revealed that although procurement officers broadly understood factors including potent labour abuse, short-stay immigration visas, international student work rules and sham contracting; issues arose because they were not labour law experts.

“Cleaning is outsourced in universities and procurement personnel have been responsible for overseeing the tender processes,” said Marshall.

“However, this has placed the contract managers in a near impossible situation where they are responsible for checking labour conditions in supply chains without the right skills and tools.

“In the past, these staff have been looking for the lowest price for cleaning contracts and labour standards have not been considered,” she said.

Research impact

This baseline study is now informing the industry’s approach to improve labour conditions for cleaning contractors in Australian universities.

Two published reports recommend best practice approaches for universities to lift their standards and adopt due diligence measures to help protect and promote the rights of workers.

Marshall continues to work with individual universities across Australia to raise awareness of the issue and improve their practices and funding models for cleaning contracts.

“There is now a much greater understanding that it is beyond a contract manager to address complex labour issues,” she said.

Many universities are now including labour conditions into the tender process and clauses in contracts to stipulate that cleaning contractors must comply with labour laws.

The report summaries and recommendations were also distributed by the Catholic Archdiocese, that has established a special taskforce on modern slavery, to catholic schools, universities, care centres and churches and across Australia.

Read the reports

Evaluating the Quality of Modern Slavery Reporting in the Australian University Sector - Report (PDF, 14.9MB)

Evaluating University Efforts to Combat Modern Slavery and Labour Abuses in Supply Chains - Report (PDF, 11.3MB)

Improving conditions for home-based workers in Thailand

Home-based workers are some of Thailand’s most precarious and poorly paid workers and their protection is a policy priority for the Thai Government.

Marshall was asked by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Thai Ministry of Labour to advise how to enforce Thailand’s law on protecting informal home-based workers.

She travelled to Thailand frequently to work with the ILO; Thai Department of Labour Protection; and HomeNet Thailand, the NGO that represents and organises home-based workers.

Research impact

Following initial interviews and workshops with Thai workers, factory managers and other stakeholders, Marshall and the team co-designed enforcement and promotion tools including educational videos, model contracts and ‘how-to’ guides.

The team also ran training for labour inspectors across Thailand on how to enforce labour laws, visit homes, access relevant information and help workers feel safe.

The Department of Labour Protection in Thailand are continuing to use the enforcement methods and educational tools to improve the conditions of homebased workers.

The International Labour Organisation’s Sandra Yu said the work led to long lasting impacts to assist in improving the conditions of homebased worker lives, beyond the life of the project.

Shelley’s expert advice has empowered the Thai Ministry of Labour to identify strategies to enforce the law across several target groups in Thailand.

-Sandra Yu, International Labour Organisation

National network established to boost Australian business accountability

Marshall was a key founder of the Australian Corporate Accountability Network (ACAN), a network of more than 100 civil society organisations, academics and individuals working to promote accountability and respect for human rights by Australian businesses wherever they operate. ACAN has influenced Australian legal and policy development including procurement policy, the Modern Slavery Act, and the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery 2020.

Marshall is also collaborating with the University of NSW and the Australian Government Border Force to review the 2018 Modern Slavery Act.

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