Due to lax regulation, Australians are unwittingly spending up to $600 million a year on imported goods produced under slave labour conditions. 1
It is an offence in Australia for companies to make a financial transaction involving a slave. Yet not one Australian company has ever been prosecuted for slavery in its supply chain, and the government is not monitoring which companies import slave-produced goods.
This is a problem because some of the most mundane things in our shopping trolleys are high-risk products for slave labour. Frozen prawns from Thailand, rice from India, and cheap toys from China are just three examples. 2
In March 2013, the Commonwealth Government announced a strategy to ensure that all goods and services supplied to Government departments have a slavery-free supply chain. Giving us the same guarantee is the next step.
Join us in signing this petition, and tell the Government to give Australian consumers a Slavery Free Guarantee.
* Image: A trafficking victim shows the physical damage done to his hands while working aboard a Thai fishing boat. © EJF 2013
Notes:
- Stop the Traffik, ‘Report: Unshackling Laws Against Slavery’, 2011 ↩
- http://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods/ ↩
Chris W.,
Alex M.,
Leena K.,
Brad L.,
Marguerite H.,
Louie B.,
Blake W.,
Leia F.,
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.