Modern Slavery Red Flags

Avoid suppliers that exhibit these traits. 

Modern slavery is thriving as it hides behind the suppliers of the items we use every day. The products most at risk of slavery are laptops, computers, mobile phones, garments, fish, cocoa and sugarcane. However, slavery doesn’t end with these products. It encompasses several other industries. So businesses must be more discerning with suppliers they want to associate with.   

To be sure that your business will not be associated with modern slavery, ask your suppliers thorough questions, make a surprise vicinity visit and watch out for these supplier red flags: 

Restricted freedom

If the workers’ travel documents such as passports are being held by someone else, that is a major red flag of slavery. If workers’ are bound inside the factory vicinity at all times, that is also a bad sign. Workers should not have any trouble accessing their travel documents and going outside of the factory vicinity. 

Poor working conditions 

Facilities must be well-maintained and meet safety standards. Labourers should have proper training on how to use the equipment. Labourers shouldn’t work excessively long hours and should have proper break times and rest days. 

Financial control

Debt bondage is one of the most common leverage of those who exploit labourers. This is when labourers are bonded by high-interest debt and are forced to work in inhumane conditions receiving little to no pay in the pretense of paying off the debt. 

Signs of physical abuse 

If the workers look unhealthy, dirty, and simply physically unfit for the job, that is a major cause for alarm. Ask more about the workers’ condition, and if possible talk directly to workers without the supervision of their managers. 

All these observations can only be done through presence in the vicinity. However, even before going there physically, you can already do a thorough check through AI technology. 

With RobobAI Anti Slavery Module, you can make sense of inconsistent and fragmented information that will help in identifying suppliers who practice modern slavery. Through supply chain mapping and connecting customer data with credible global third-party source data, it is able to visualise risks by category, supplier and country.  

Save lives and secure your business from modern slavery with RobobAI. 

Sources: 

• https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/2018/findings/highlights/
• https://vinciworks.com/blog/how-to-spot-modern-slavery-in-your-supply-chain/