Identify And Eradicate Slavery

Identifying modern slavery means recognising that a worker is not free to leave. The Australian Federal Police lists indicators such as no access to earnings, no employment contract, no choice of accommodation, being unable to move freely without an escort, discipline through fines, and unlawful deductions for food or lodging.

Eradicating it is a different task, and it starts with knowing your limits. Human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices are criminalised under Divisions 270 and 271 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth). That makes a suspicion a police matter, not something an employer investigates alone. The AFP is clear that no single indicator proves modern slavery on its own and that each case has to be considered in its entirety, so the sensible response is to report on 131 AFP (237) rather than confront a supplier or dismiss a concern early.

Practical steps for an Australian organisation:

• train the people most likely to notice, with a modern slavery course covering the defined practices
• give workers a route to raise concerns through incident reporting that reaches someone senior
• put a supplier standard in writing and track sign-off with policy acknowledgement
• cover the worst forms of child labour, which sit within the statutory definition

Obligations differ by sector and jurisdiction and change over time, so treat this as general information rather than legal advice. The AFP’s forced labour indicators are the practical starting point. See Sentrient’s compliance training courses for what to roll out.