The construction industry globally faces a “strong risk” of modern slavery, according to a new report by LexisNexis BIS. The anaylsis, Hidden in Plain Site – Modern Slavery in the Construction Industry, looked at articles from more than 6,000 licensed news sources in more than 100 countries in Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Africa and Asia between January 2015 and May 2016.
It shows that in the global construction industry and its material supply chains, forced labour and other exploitation that constitutes modern slavery are common, concealed and subject to inadequate prevention, policing and prosecution. It concludes that governments, businesses and the media all have a role to play against modern slavery.
Mark Dunn, Director at LexisNexis Business Insights Solutions, notes: ‘Our report shows that there is a strong risk of forced labour taking place in the construction industry and its supply chains. Given that the construction industry employs an estimated 7% of the global workforce, this means countless thousands of workers are leading lives of misery and injustice. Forced labour needs to move up the global agenda. A wide range of stakeholders – international bodies, governments and the public sector, industry organisations, construction companies, investors, the media and civil society – have roles to play in preventing and avoiding collusion in worker exploitation in the construction industry. LexisNexis BIS is committed to actively working to advance the rule of law, through its day-to-day business, products and services, and its actions.’
Case studies include allegations of forced labour being used to build World Cup 2022 stadiums in Qatar, a marine construction project in the USA, and Brazilian workers at an industrial plant in Angola. In particular, the report relates to compliance with the UK’s recently introduced Modern Slavery Act 2015.
View the report: http://bisinfo.lexisnexis.co.uk/.
For a six-page outline of the report, visit http://bisinfo.lexisnexis.co.uk/hubfs/Construction_Report/LxNx_ConstrunctionInd-SHORT1_010916.pdf?t=1472838699308.
About the firm
LexisNexis BIS is used for customer due diligence, client screening and corporate security. It helps companies conduct analysis and checks on third parties to support obligations for human rights transparency and ethical sourcing.
