by Brianna Crandall — June 15, 2016 — The findings of the Global Slavery Index released June 1 are shocking and put the onus on all of us to take positive action against the evils of modern slavery now affecting 48 million people worldwide, says U.K.-based building sciences group BRE’s Head of Responsible Sourcing Shamir Ghumra, quoted below.
“While the report cites the number of people affected in the U.K. at a relatively low 13,000, the figure doesn’t reflect the complex supply chains of most sectors, none more so than the construction sector.
“BRE is currently developing a new standard — the Ethical Labour Standard — which will provide organizations with a framework to verify their systems and processes in relation to the Modern Slavery Act and continuously improve their ethical labor sourcing practices.
“We have 120+ organizations who are helping us shape the standard and trial its use. This is a testament to the willingness of our industry to do the right thing — these are organizations with complex international supply chains, so the ability they have to affect real change on a global scale is significant.”
The standard will be launched in July in London. For further information contact Shamir Ghumra.
