UK: McDonald's & supermarkets Asda, Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco & Waitrose missed red flags for human trafficking over "years", finds BBC; incl. co. comments
"McDonald’s and supermarkets failed to spot slavery,"
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A gang forced 16 victims to work at either the fast-food restaurant or the factory - which supplied Asda, Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
Well-established signs of slavery, including paying the wages of four men into one bank account, were missed while the victims from the Czech Republic were exploited over more than four years.
Nine victims were forced to work at the McDonald’s branch in Caxton, Cambridgeshire. Nine worked at the pitta bread company, with factories in Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire and Tottenham in north London, which made supermarket own-brand products...
McDonald’s UK declined our offer of an interview, but provided a statement on behalf of the corporation and its franchisees...
None of the supermarkets detected the slavery while victims worked at the factory between 2012 and 2019...
Sainsbury’s said it stopped using the company as an own-brand supplier in 2016…
Asda told the BBC it was “disappointed that a historic case has been found in our supply chain”, adding that it would “review every case identified and act upon the learnings”…
Tesco said inspections - supported by information from anti-slavery charity Unseen - “revealed concerning working practices” and the company “ceased all orders from the supplier” in 2020.
Waitrose said it pulled out in 2021 after its audits led to “concerns about factory standards and working conditions”.
The Co-op said it made “a number” of unannounced inspections, including worker interviews, but found no signs of modern slavery, adding that the company “actively work to tackle the shocking issue… both in the UK and abroad”.
M&S said it suspended and delisted the company in 2020 after it “became aware of potential breaches of ethical labour standards via the modern slavery helpline”.
The British Retail Consortium said workers’ welfare was “fundamental” to retailers, who it said acted quickly when concerns are raised.