New obligations placed on big businesses under proposed Modern Slavery Act

Big businesses will have to say what they are doing to stop modern slavery in their supply chains under proposed new laws.

File: (L-R) Actress Rachel Griffiths, Hagar CEO Johanna Pride, and Sophia Touch appear before a Modern Slavery Inquiry at Parliament House in Melbourne.

File: (L-R) Actress Rachel Griffiths, Hagar CEO Johanna Pride, and Sophia Touch appear before a Modern Slavery Inquiry at Parliament House in Melbourne. Source: AAP

The draft laws will go to parliament on Thursday as Australia bids to become a world leader in fighting slavery.

The laws are expected to cover businesses with turnovers of at least $100 million, impacting about 3000 companies operating in Australia.

As well, under the laws an annual statement will be published highlighting modern slavery risks in government contracting.
More than 40 million people worldwide are believed to be victims of "modern slavery", which covers such things as forced labour, child labour, people trafficking, debt bondage, and the sale of or sexual exploitation of children.

Studies have shown the main problems within Australia are sex trafficking, arranged marriages and unscrupulous employers and labour agencies recruiting men and women from Asia and Pacific islands for agriculture, construction, hospitality, and domestic service.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop flagged the laws in London in April, telling other Commonwealth nations Australia wanted to clean up supply chains.


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Published 27 June 2018 4:40pm
Updated 28 June 2018 8:57am


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