New anti-slavery laws introduced

26 March 2010 - Ministry of Justice

New laws which make it easier to prosecute those who exploit some of the most vulnerable people in society are about to come in to effect.

The new offence of holding another person in slavery or servitude, or requiring another person to perform forced or compulsory labour, is set out in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. Those found guilty face a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

Justice Minister Claire Ward said:

‘This change will give police and prosecutors an additional weapon in the fight against forced or compulsory labour – practices which have no place in modern Britain. We are determined to crack down on those who exploit some of the most vulnerable people in society.

‘The victims are often migrant workers who may speak little English, be unaware of their employment rights, or not know how to report what is happening to them.

‘The Government is today sending a clear message that anyone who forces another person to work without giving them the pay and conditions to which they are rightly entitled can be brought to justice.

‘We are committed to a fair deal in the workplace and to tackling practices which are damaging to individuals, society, and ultimately British businesses who have to compete against such unfair practices.’

Human rights campaign group Anti-Slavery International welcomed the move.

Director Aidan McQuade said:

‘Making forced labour and servitude criminal offences in the UK is a great act of leadership by the Government and the Ministry of Justice. Government listened to the concerns of civil society, public servants and parliamentarians and acted with this law to protect the most vulnerable workers from slavery in the factories, farms and even homes of this country.

‘Parliament has now provided clear guidance to law enforcement and prosecutors on society's expectations of how they should act against perpetrators of these crimes. This is an example of politics at its best.’

Claire Ward reassured employers that the new legislation is aimed at people who exploit others, and is unlikely to impact on responsible employers who comply with current law.

She added:

‘We are aware that in many sectors such as agriculture, construction or hospitality, low-cost, seasonal labour can be the lifeblood of a business. This new legislation is not specifically targeted at these industries, but applies across the board.

‘Employers will need to comply with the new law. But if they already comply with existing employment law they’re unlikely to have anything to worry about from the new offence.

‘Forced labour requires a level of coercion or deception beyond that of a normal employment arrangement. For the new offence to apply, the employer must have known the arrangement was oppressive, or turned a blind eye to that fact.’

http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease250310c.htm

International Woman's Day Revisited

The SAHT team (minus Miranda) and Anti-Slavery International speaker Gemma Wolfes



A big thanks to all of you who attended our event on domestic slavery last term for making it such a success, especially our speaker Gemma Wolfes. We'd also like to thank those of you who gave your time and effort to our fundraising activities.

To find out more about Anti-Slavery International's campaign in trying to get the ILO to adopt a new convention on domestic work and how you can take action please see

http://www.antislavery.org/english/campaigns/home_alone/about_home_alone_campaign.aspx