NGO Says Pandemic Increased Forced Labor Likelihood
The Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre says its analysis found there's more risk that businesses used forced labor during the pandemic, both in sectors that experienced demand spikes, such as protective gear like masks, and in the garment sector, where orders were canceled. "The pandemic made it more difficult for businesses to prevent forced labour in their supply chains, but some of the early response [was] likely to have exacerbated vulnerability, for example by cancelling orders," the center said in a report released Nov. 17.
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“The pandemic has highlighted the complexity and fragility of many supply chains and reinforced the link between the lack of visibility over supply chains and the vulnerability of workers to modern slavery. More transparent, resilient supply chains are better for business and better for workers,” report co-author Owain Johnstone said.
But, the group said, there is a silver lining. “Our study revealed that because of the pandemic, two-thirds of businesses sourced from new suppliers and undertook additional supply chain mapping. Therefore, there is an opportunity for businesses to use these new relationships as springboards to understand the impacts of their own business model and practices, and how they may change to collectively tackle, and prevent, modern slavery," Jo Meehan, who led the project on the impact of COVID-19 on the management of supply chains, said.