Tackle Modern Slavery in Supply Chains

Modern slavery in supply chains can occur at all stages, from extracting raw materials to shipping finished goods. As most work is outsourced internationally, modern slavery in manufacturing is particularly pervasive in countries with weak labour laws and poor working conditions.

The Mekong Club works with retailers and manufacturers to create sustainable approaches to end modern slavery. Companies join our community to benefit from anti-slavery toolkits, consultations and support in developing ethical practices to prevent forced labour and human trafficking in supply chains.

End Modern Slavery in Supply Chains

Work With Mekong Club to Make a Difference

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Access to industry expertise and best practices
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Collaborate with a global network of professionals
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Reduce the risk of modern slavery in your business through training
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Exceed ethical and sustainability targets
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Become a leader in anti-slavery

What is modern slavery in supply chains?

As manufacturers are under pressure to stick to tight margins, production is often outsourced overseas, where labour is cheaper. Victims of exploitation are from poorer countries and are willing to accept low wages and dismal working conditions. This has led to an increase in forced labour in supply chains.

Migrant workers are also at risk of modern slavery in manufacturing since they aren’t familiar with the local language, and they may not understand their rights.

Supply chains are complex and difficult to manage, it can even be hard to track where products have come from, and who made them. The welfare of the workforce can easily slip under the radar unless businesses are active in tackling modern slavery in supply chains.

Find out how you score in your anti-slavery strategies against industry standards through our confidential modern slavery supply chain risk assessment.

Start Self-Assessment

Challenges Impacting Modern Slavery in Supply Chains

Contractors in the manufacturing sector are often low-skilled, low-paid and the most vulnerable to supply chain exploitation. With no option to work from home, many employees work involuntarily or fall into debt bondage.

Mekong Club has free tools and resources to help you address these challenges and exclusive tools for members. These are designed to help tackle modern slavery in manufacturing and reduced forced labour and human trafficking in supply chains.

Access Modern Slavery Toolkits

Testimonials

Our collaboration with the Mekong Club has been nothing but a success. This is due to two factors:

i) They have continually met us where we are as a company. When we knew little, they held our hand. As we have grown, they challenge our thinking and press for progress.

ii) Modern slavery can be a very difficult and sensitive topic to discuss as a company. However, from the beginning, Mekong Club has created a safe space to dig deeper and look for solutions, rather than finger-pointing.

VF CORPORATION
The Apprise platform, developed by the Mekong Club and the United Nations University Institute in Macau (UNU) is an innovative voice app that enables more workers to be engaged during an audit in a safe, effective and anonymous way. Apprise uses a mobile app to ask workers questions in their local language via a headset, which have been specially developed to uncover any red flags for forced labor in line with the ILO indicators. Apprise has helped us overcome the barriers

LI & FUNG
Mekong Club supported us in the development of our Group Responsible Recruitment Policy, which guides our implementation of the International Labour Organization’s Fair Recruitment Principles and Guidelines and supports the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) Commitment to Responsible Recruitment. Mekong Club provided technical inputs for the policy and will support us in terms of wider capacity-building for human resources and front-line staff to better understand the issue.

LI & FUNG
Being a member of the Mekong Club, we have access to an expert team with whom we can discuss issues relating to modern slavery in the supply chain, including putting safeguards in place to identify and mitigate risks, compliance with regulatory requirements relating to modern slavery including employee training. We also benefit from interactions with like-minded member/professionals through webinars and events organized by the club.

MATTEL

The Future of Modern Slavery in Supply Chains

The future of modern slavery in supply chains demands a unified approach, despite the diverse stakeholders involved. Growing consumer awareness and stricter legislation are driving a shift towards ethical manufacturing. Businesses must adopt zero-tolerance policies, train employees to recognize and report signs of modern slavery, and implement rigorous supply chain monitoring and audits. Clear communication and supplier training are also crucial. The Mekong Club provides a community of like-minded manufacturing businesses, offering support and resources to facilitate this transition towards concrete, anti-slavery practices.

Manufacturing businesses have many stakeholders, so it can be difficult to get everyone on board and create anti-slavery strategies. However, consumer mindsets are changing, and people are more aware of the origins of their products, and questioning the conditions they were made in. Combined with tighter legislation, manufacturers must enter this new era of ethical practices and bring an end to modern slavery in manufacturing.

Some main steps businesses can take include implementing a zero-tolerance policy for modern slavery in supply chains. Employees in all areas should be trained on the signs of modern slavery and there should be processes in place to raise the alarm.

Manufacturers should monitor and audit the supply chain to spot and address forced labour in supply chains. Having clear communication with suppliers and training them on modern slavery can also help.

Mekong Club has a community of like-minded businesses in the manufacturing sector that can support you in your transition to more concrete processes.

Become a Member

A New Era of Manufacturing

Manufacturers should monitor and audit the supply chain to spot and address forced labour. Having clear communication with suppliers and training them on modern slavery can also help.

Mekong Club has a community of like-minded businesses in the manufacturing sector that can support you in your transition to more concrete processes.

Get Support From Our Community

Latest News & Events

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EVENTS

FAQs

How modern slavery in manufacturing affects businesses

Modern slavery risks within manufacturing supply chains, including forced labor, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking, present critical challenges. The complexities of multi-tiered production processes can obscure unethical labor practices, particularly in recruitment. This can lead to vulnerable workers facing exploitation due to factors like low wages and the use of unregulated agencies. The intricate nature of supply chains makes it difficult to ensure ethical labor practices at every stage. The Mekong Club offers manufacturers targeted training and strategies to identify and mitigate these risks, focusing on responsible supply chain management and worker protection.

Modern slavery in manufacturing businesses is common and comes in the form of forced labour, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Business models often focus on maximising profits, which can sometimes result in less emphasis on prioritising employees’ rights. As a result, workers may face lower wages and may be sourced through agencies that do not always adhere to legislation.

With so many steps in the supply chain, it can be difficult to control processes, including the recruitment of employees. Mekong Club can support manufacturers by training them on strategies to overcome modern slavery in supply chains.
How to engage suppliers and raise awareness about modern slavery

Engaging suppliers and raising awareness about modern slavery requires a comprehensive approach across all supply chain stages. Businesses must conduct thorough due diligence, ensuring suppliers adhere to ethical labor practices. The Mekong Club provides tailored support to raise internal awareness, including training on identifying modern slavery indicators and implementing effective response strategies. Through consultations, we work with businesses to understand their specific supply chain dynamics and develop targeted solutions for supplier engagement, fostering a collaborative effort towards a slavery-free supply chain.

Modern slavery in supply chains affects all stages. Businesses should research their suppliers and ensure that they follow ethical practices.

We can help you raise awareness of modern slavery throughout your business, including education on the signs to look out for and steps you can take to address it. We offer consultations where we’ll understand your business and provide solutions to engage suppliers to create a slavery-free world.
How do you assess modern slavery?

To effectively tackle modern slavery in manufacturing, you need to understand how your current anti-slavery strategies compare to others in the hospitality space.

Use our anonymous self-assessment to get your modern slavery score.
How can we assess the impact of our anti-slavery initiatives?

An easy way to measure your progress is to complete our self-assessment before and after you have implemented the change in your supply chain. You can then compare your score.

Alternatively, Mekong Club members will benefit from personalised support to create initiatives and measure their impact.
How much does it cost to become a member of the Mekong Club?

For small medium businesses, membership costs $7,000. Membership is $12,000 if there are more than 250 employees in your organisation.
What is a high risk factor for modern slavery in supply chains?

A high-risk factor for modern slavery in supply chains is the reliance on low-skilled or unskilled labor, often characterized by low-paying, undervalued work predominantly performed by vulnerable populations. Additionally, the presence of debt bondage, where workers are trapped by financial obligations, creates a significant vulnerability to exploitation within manufacturing and other supply chain sectors.

Reliance upon low-skilled or unskilled labour that is typically work that is low-paying and undervalued and often undertaken by vulnerable workers. High numbers of temporary, seasonal, or agency workers.

Tackle Modern Slavery in Supply Chains

Work With Mekong Club to Make a Difference

Access to industry expertise and best practices

Collaborate with a global network of professionals

Reduce the risk of modern slavery in your business through training

Exceed ethical and sustainability targets

Become a leader in anti-slavery