Tell your Senator and representative to support a strong Modern Slavery Act

We know all too well that many workers in Asia endure forced labor to bring us the garments, foods, electronics and other goods we enjoy.

The good news is Australia is taking steps towards creating new modern slavery laws that could improve protections for vulnerable workers worldwide and we need your help to make it happen.

Though a national law, its reach — like the supply chains of many companies — will go far beyond Australia’s borders and has the opportunity to improve the lives of people in forced labor. This is especially true in the Asia Pacific region, where nearly half of all Australia’s goods come from, and where an estimated 30 million people are living in slavery.¹

How could this new law impact modern slavery globally? If Australia proposes a strong and robust Modern Slavery Act that sets new global standards in protecting victims and holding businesses accountable, other nations will have a higher bar to follow — resulting in better protections for victims and survivors both regionally and all over the world.

We must call on Australia to leverage its buying power and improve the lives of vulnerable workers by proposing a strong modern slavery law.

We campaigned alongside politicians, nonprofit organizations, faith leaders and anti-slavery activists in 2014 to ensure the UK created a Modern Slavery Act that included company reporting.² We won then and we can do it again!

Sadly, the UK law does not include government purchases or make companies take action to fix problems, nor does it penalize companies that don’t comply.

Australia is looking to model its law after the UK, which risks it being weak, and we don’t want this to be a missed opportunity to help protect more victims and abolish modern slavery.

Join us in calling on Australia to be a global and regional leader in the fight against modern slavery.

Notes:

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

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Janice Stewart

5 years ago

We need to get this stopped and now, please do something to stop it, it disgusts me how they treat those beautiful decent people trying to make another life for themselves, they promise them everything then treat them like scum, men have been jailed already in Britain for it , it happened in my country the way they treated that poor man was digusting a pig didnt even deserve to be treated like that , come on listen to the people that desperately want this stopped everywhere, please everybody.

B Gilman

Reply to James Pellatt-Shand

I am British with Australian relatives and I heartily agree with the above comment. Unfortunately Britain is also not guiltless in this regard, though a number of companies have pledged to eliminate slavery from their supply chains. It remains to be seen if these promises will be honoured.

James Pellatt-Shand

I am not Australian, but I am a humanitarian. I urge the government to shine a light and change the law and make the lives of millions of exploited people better z

Akvilina Meiliunas

The poor are used for slave labour, and this injustice must be stopped. We cannot disregard these practises, and slavery laws must be put in place asap, and ensured they are adhered to. If not, measured should be implemented to put a stop to this exploitation. We are all human and should be shown respect.

Mr Greer Hart

All countries have had exploitation of parts of their population. Scotland, my country, once enslaved people in medieval coal mines, and made them wear slave collars. Turkmenistan is obviously a place where an elite has created a great gulf between themselves and the poorer and struggling part of the population. Cotton growing was never quite profitable without specialised machinery or with slave labour. To sweat it out in Central Asian heat is cruel, when forced to do so.

Tell your Senator to support a strong Modern Slavery Act

No Penalty, No Progress: Urge Australia to make big business take action