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Article

27 Mar 2017

Author:
Shan Saba, Business Development Director at Brightwork, in The Scotsman (UK)

Commentary: "Agencies have vital role in ending slavery", says director of recruitment agency

The words “modern slavery” should have no place in 21st century Britain...But, to our shame, it does exist...The full gravity of the situation was brought home to me recently when I completed the Stronger Together workshop which focused on tackling the issue...I now plan to champion the combating of this modern scourge in our own business, Brightwork, which can employ more than 2,000 temporary staff across Scotland at peak times. Other recruitment agencies should follow suit. Because the sad fact is that recruitment agencies had the largest amount of forced labour on their payroll out of all business sectors in the UK in 2014, most of them unwittingly. But we have to ask: is ignorance really an excuse?...The role that recruitment agencies can play in eradicating this human misery fuelled by greed is vital. When presented with cheap rates, they can ask themselves what corners have been cut to keep the cost so low. They can ensure regulatory compliance, co-operate with UK border checks and ensure that all staff are trained and aware of how to identify, deal with and report any signs of forced labour. It is a fair to ask labour providers about what processes they have in place, how much the workers are paid and how they work with the UK Borders Agency. They can visit their offices, audit their records and speak to the temporary workers who are on the site. The ethics of labour suppliers are a legitimate concern for recruitment agencies. If they don’t take them into account, the Modern Slavery Act could put them in the dock.