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Exploitation on UK construction sites
The Chartered Institute of Building ( CIOB ) is urging UK contractors to face up to the significant human rights risks in their supply chains , with the launch of a new report that finds both British and foreign workers at risk of exploitation .
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CONSTRUCTION AND THE Modern Slavery Act , tackling exploitation in the UK is published as the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority ( GLAA ) and National Crime Agency ( NCA ) jointly lead a national enforcement campaign involving police forces and other agencies aimed at tackling labour exploitation . NCA analysis has identified construction as one of the most common sectors for labour exploitation in the UK .
Criticising the industry ’ s slow response to the Modern Slavery Act , CIOB ’ s report highlights the aggressive business models that are creating an environment for unethical procurement and recruitment practices , and the systemic auditing failures that are allowing criminals to infiltrate major projects undetected .
Chris Blythe OBE , chief executive at the CIOB said :“ Contrary to public perceptions , modern slavery is not confined to small illegal operators . Criminals are attracted to big business because of the greater profits that they can earn . Unscrupulous labour providers , operating in the grey area of the law , are also creating misery for thousands of British and foreign workers .
‘ We welcome this report and hope that it acts as a reminder to all employers within the construction industry that labour exploitation does exist and they are responsible for ensuring their supply chains are compliant with modern slavery legislation ’
“ Suppliers and labour agencies should be rewarded for finding and reporting problems , contractors need to promote fairer business models and clients need to be more explicit about their ethical expectations . We need to empower everyone working in this industry to act , share and collaborate for the greater good .”
Problems are set at the top of supply chains with lowest cost tendering , abuse of the retentions system and late payment pricing out ethical practice . The situation is creating an imbalance of power that leaves all nationalities vulnerable to exploitation . Illegal activities such as blacklisting are also believed to be continuing , despite recent high-profile court cases .
Major contractors in construction typically have long and fragmented supply chains , with little visibility beyond tiers one or two . They are also heavily reliant on temporary migrant labour , a significant indicator of risk . Nevertheless , the report found examples of complacency and disbelief that major projects were vulnerable to criminal infiltration and human trafficking . This contrasted with incidents of modern slavery being found on major UK infrastructure programmes , PFI hospital projects , power plants , recycling centres , renovation projects , demolition sites and local authority schemes .
Independent anti-slavery commissioner Kevin Hyland OBE said : “ The construction sector is recognised around the world as one of the highest risk industries for workers to be exploited in forced labour . It is therefore crucial that construction companies take meaningful action to prevent this crime from taking place within their operations and to ensure that anyone working in the sector within the UK or abroad is protected from abuse .
“ This new report from the CIOB builds on its previous good work highlighting the issue . It provides clear ways for responsible companies to tackle slavery and ensure their labour supply is protected . I hope to see many construction businesses taking up its recommendations and making real changes , so that it can set an example to other high risk sectors .”
The report explores the legal , investor and social pressures for driving change . It also highlights examples of industry best practice as well as platforms for information sharing , such as the GLAA ’ s construction forum . Strategies for rehabilitating survivors of slavery are included through the Co-op Group ’ s Bright Future programme .
‘ Suppliers and labour agencies should be rewarded for finding and reporting problems , contractors need to promote fairer business models and clients need to be more explicit about their ethical expectations ’
Roy McComb , deputy director at the National Crime Agency , said : “ Slavery is not a thing of the past . It ’ s a very real crime that seeks out vulnerable people and exploits them for criminal profit . It affects all types of communities across every part of the United Kingdom . Labour-intensive sectors like construction , where temporary and irregular work are common , are high-risk sectors for exploitation . Tackling modern slavery is a priority for UK law enforcement but everyone has a role to play in spotting and reporting this crime .
“ We welcome this report and hope that it acts as a reminder to all employers within the construction industry that labour exploitation does exist and they are responsible for ensuring their supply chains are compliant with modern slavery legislation .”
A full copy of the report is available at http :// www . ciob . org / campaigns / tackling-modern-slavery-construction
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