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STOP THE TRAFFIK,
a pioneer in human trafficking prevention
S
TOP THE TRAFFIK has been
leading the fight against
human trafficking since 2006.
Utilising the power of people
and technology, STOP THE
TRAFFIK works to prevent
human trafficking globally
through an innovative,
intelligence-led approach.
They deliver global campaigns
to make communities safer,
and work with businesses to
change the environment,
making trafficking high-risk
and low-profit.
Through radical information
sharing and collaboration, STOP
THE TRAFFIK aim to build a
global picture of human
trafficking hotspots and trends,
to empower individuals,
organisations and agencies to
make more informed and better
choices, to signpost them to safe
places to get help and support
and to encourage appropriate
response and reporting.
By shining a light on this hidden
crime in the hospitality sector, we
can all change the environment
and increase the risk to the
trafficker and the safety of the
vulnerable. We wanted to know
more and asked STOP THE
TRAFFIK to explain.
How bad is this currently in the
UK hospitality sector?
Hospitality is one of the priority
high-risk sectors for modern
slavery in the UK. Certain jobs
roles are more at risk than
others, for example, hotel
cleaners, night porters, and
security guards. The risk is higher
because they can be classed as
‘low skilled’ jobs, which are often
accessible to migrant workers
who might not have the language
skills for front of house roles.
Where there is a language
barrier, workers have weaker
negotiating power or might not
be able to ask for help.
Additionally, sub-contracting
within hotel companies is
common, which can weaken
employment accountability and
makes the use of contracted
labour more likely. The use of
piece-work pay is also common
which, when combined with
unrealistic targets, can lead to
pay below the National Minimum
Wage.
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THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK
Where are the main pinch-
points in the supply chain?
In general, a business is exposed
to modern slavery in three ways:
through employees (labour
exploitation), through supply
chains (also labour exploitation),
and through customers or guests
(typically sexual exploitation). The
hospitality sector is affected by all
of these. Businesses have the
responsibility to address their
supply chains, but this is only one
part of the solution.
The hospitality sector’s supply
chain risks are diverse and are
spread across multiple tiers of the
supply chain. Service sector tier-1
suppliers create immediate risks
for hospitality companies,
including industrial laundries,
garden and maintenance
contractors, and construction
companies. Further removed, tier-
2 suppliers that pose a risk for
hospitality companies can include
food, uniform, bedding, and
furniture manufactures. Whereas,
completely removed from the
companies, but still an important
element of their supply chains,
are tier-3 suppliers that pick the
food, cut the timber, and collect
the cotton needed for their
essential goods.
There’s no silver bullet for
mitigating these risks. Instead,
hospitality companies need to
prioritise specific sectors and
engage with their suppliers to
develop relevant solutions to
tackle the causes of modern
slavery in those contexts.
What are the signs
to look out for?
There are many red flags that
should raise suspicion of
exploitation and potential human
trafficking within a hotel or venue.
Only observing one indicator is
not necessarily a cause for
concern, but when several are
witnessed at the same time, a
concern should be raised.
• Overworked, tired, isolated or
fearful employees
• Employees unable to speak
English, or an employee
speaking on behalf of others
• Employees with signs of
physical or psychological abuse
• Employees being forced to live
on site
• Employees discussing their
need to work to pay off a debt,
not being in control of their
passport or visa, or having
deductions taken from their
wages
• Employees not wanting to
discuss their personal life or
not knowing where they live
Most large hotels are now
training their staff on what signs
to look out for both for sexual
exploitation of their guests and
labour exploitation of their
colleagues or contractors on site.
Do you have a list of things you
would recommend event
organisers should check when
selecting a venue or caterer?
It’s not the sole responsibility of
an event organiser to audit a
venue or caterer based on their
ethics. However, organisers
should trust their instincts;
everyone has a part to play in the
fight against modern slavery. If
companies appear to be cutting
corners, are offering too-good-to-
be-true prices, or don’t appear
legitimate, exploitation is much
more likely.
One way to determine a
company’s risk is to ask them if
they use recruitment agencies or
labour providers for temporary
contract workers. If the answer is
yes, then the company might not
even be aware of the risks
they’re facing, and if not
effectively managed, can lead to
exploitation taking place even in
‘legitimate’ work places.
modern slavery statement, one
of the best unofficial guidance
documents is produced by
CORE.
If someone suspects someone
is being exploited, what should
they do?
If someone is in immediate
danger, you should always call
999. However, given that
modern slavery is such a hidden
crime, often individuals will only
have suspicions that may not
warrant a 999 call.
In these less certain cases, you
should look to report cases of
labour exploitation to the
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse
Authority, whilst cases of sexual
exploitation should be reported
to the non-emergency 101 line.
You can also report a suspicion
through the STOP APP, which will
then be assessed by Stop The
Traffik’s intelligence team and
forwarded on to the appropriate
enforcement agency or partner
organisation.
Many caterers and venues
don’t publish a modern-day
slavery statement or policy.
What can event organisers do
to encourage more to do so?
You can include an effective
modern slavery statement into
your contract requirements for
venues and caterers. This will
quickly communicate to these
companies the importance of
complying with the Modern
Slavery Act.
Is there an online resource
event organisers can direct
suppliers to who want to create
policies and statements?
As well as the UK Government’s
official advice on how to write a
Reporting suspicious activity
could save lives.
stopthetraffik.org