"What you are wearing is almost certainly tied to modern slavery", 5 April 2022

Most Australian businesses have turned a blind eye to modern slavery, including forced labour in their supply chains, despite new national rules designed to tackle the problem.

A new national report released by the International Justice Mission on Monday found that more than 90 per cent of Australian businesses have identified potential slavery risks in their supply chains.

But nearly 85 per cent of 404 company statements submitted under Australia’s Modern Slavery Act and analysed by the mission failed to show any response to actual or alleged slavery in operations or supply chains. Almost three quarters of company statements either did not satisfy or only just met basic reporting obligations.

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A third of corporations in the study which reported sourcing products or operating in India identified one or more of the most common modern slavery practices including human trafficking, child labour, forced labour and debt bondage.

Products associated with a high risk of bonded labour included pearls and gemstones, clothing and other textiles, carpets, furniture, bedding, coffee and tea.