Site unseen: Is the sector still guilty of modern slavery?
A decade has passed since the Modern Slavery Act became law. CN examines how far the industry has – or hasn’t – changed
There is a popular concept in criminology called routine activity theory. It posits that the ideal environment for criminals to offend is when the opportunity and the means are in the same place at the same time. According to anti-slavery charity Unseen, construction sites provide the opportunity and means for gangs exploiting vulnerable people – and they are operating unchecked in plain sight.
The Modern Slavery Act is 10 years old this year. Since 2015, large firms have been required to produce statements on how they are rooting out modern slavery within their businesses. But there is growing evidence that merely complying with the law has done little to stamp out the issue.