A coalition of investors are calling on UK companies to increase efforts to tackle modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking in their supply chains.

Responsible investment firm CCLA, along with investors Rathbones, Schroders and Church Commissioners for England, said they are concerned only a small number of firms have shared findings of modern slavery within their supply chains, making it difficult to fully assess how corporates are helping victims.

A report on CCLA’s initiative said the number of firms publicly sharing that they had found, fixed or prevented modern slavery was ‘low’.

According to the firm, 20% reported action to find cases of modern slavery within their supply chain, 18% reported action to prevent it and 3% reported action to fix it.

However, it added that the majority of companies had published a modern slavery statement and average compliance with the Modern Slavery Act was 89%.

The coalition of investors working with CCLA are now urging all UK companies to rapidly increase their efforts to identify modern slavery in their supply chains.

They are calling for firms to review, assess and disclose the effectiveness of their attempts to tackle the issues and to put measure in place to help support victims.

“While it is a long journey and slower than we would like, we recognise that finding, fixing and preventing modern slavery is very involved but absolutely vital if we are to meet Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 calling for its eradication by 2030,” CCLA better work lead, Dr Martin Buttle said.

“As we move forward, we must more than redouble our efforts and replicate the progress achieved in the hospitality sector, in the construction sector and beyond.”

CCLA consultant modern slavery, Dame Sara Thornton added: “With 86% of the 27 million people in forced labour, employed by the private sector[1], it is clear that businesses must take more action to identify and address slavery and trafficking in their operations and supply chains.

“Notably in the UK, we import an estimated $18 billion worth of goods that present a high slavery risk so we need our policy makers to step up legislation so that there is a level playing field and incentives for all companies to find, fix and prevent instances of modern slavery in their operations and global supply chains.”

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