"The real economic victims of coronavirus are those we can't see", 17 March 2020

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COVID-19 is affecting supply chains and disrupting manufacturing around the world.

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Supply chain workers are not directly employed by the brands for whom they produce goods, and can be left destitute when the work stops, needing to search for even more precarious work and exposing themselves to a greater risk of exploitation.

As work dries up, desperation among workers grows. In such circumstances working conditions can quickly deteriorate at the hands of unscrupulous employers. This can result in modern slavery, which includes forced labour and human trafficking.

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Australia's Modern Slavery Act...offers Australian companies an opportunity to take a holistic approach to preventing and addressing risks in all parts of their operation, not only those involving people they directly employ.

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It is important to consider not only risks to the business, but also the risks the business poses to others, including its indirect employees.

The persistence of modern slavery derives in part from purchasing practices that put extreme pressure on suppliers, such as extremely tight production windows, short-term contracts, last-minute or short-term orders and severe payment terms.

A global economic crisis might make them worse.

...[I]t is vital that companies engage and collaborate with others, including suppliers, workers and the public in order to understand how best to address these risks.

The next few months will provide vital clues as to whether Australian companies are really serious about addressing modern slavery, or whether they regard the Act as merely symbolic.

[Companies mentioned are Apple and Amazon]