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LONDON, Feb 20 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - U.S. carrier
Delta Air Lines and British retail bank HSBC UK
were named as major winners of a global anti-slavery award on
Thursday after training flight attendants to spot trafficking
and giving bank accounts to slavery survivors.
Supermarket Aldi UK - the British arm of the
German discount store - and Australian jeans maker Outland
Denim, which hit headlines in 2018 when Megan Markle donned a
pair, were also hailed in the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Stop
Slavery Award for their efforts to eradicate forced labour.
HSBC won the innovation award, Delta the campaign award,
while Aldi scooped the goods and service firms award, recognised
for cleaning up a high-risk supply chain and requiring suppliers
and other partners to be trained in slavery awareness and laws.
Outland Denim, which employs survivors and vulnerable women
in Cambodia, won the small and medium sized companies award with
judges noting its wide-ranging approach to helping staff.
With modern slavery increasingly dominating headlines
worldwide, businesses are under increasing pressure from both
governments and consumers to disclose what actions they are
taking to ensure their supply chains are free from slavery.
"We will continue to work collaboratively to raise awareness
and drive better standards," said Fritz Walleczek, managing
director of corporate responsibility at Aldi UK.
"We hope that these awards inspire others to join forces and
take positive steps to protect human rights."
About 25 million people globally are estimated to be trapped
in forced labour - from factories and farms to fishing boats -
says the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO).
Delta was also hailed for its apprenticeship programme that
helps victims to lean professional skills and offers them jobs.
"Our work is motivated by each survivor story we hear and
the 90,000 passionate Delta employees who make hope for freedom
possible," said Allison Ausband, senior vice president of
in-flight service and head of Delta's anti-trafficking
committee.
The award, now in its fourth iteration, recognised civil
society groups for the first time, with organisations based in
Pakistan, Jordan and Britain hailed for their efforts.
Insan Dost Association won the grassroots award for helping
Pakistani bonded labourers in brick kilns, while Tamkeen scooped
the impact award for supporting migrant workers in Jordan.
Speaking on a panel at the awards ceremony, experts such as
Britain's anti-slavery tsar Sara Thornton said companies should
not just think about "compliance and risk" alone but consider
the positives of tackling abuses to as a human rights issue.
Anti-slavery barrister Parosha Chandran said supply chain
laws in many nations from Australia to Britain were toothless
and called for harsher penalties, from director disqualification
to large damages that could "bring companies to their knees".
The shortlists for the two company awards were drawn up
after entrants completed a detailed questionnaire, designed in
partnership with human rights specialists at multi-national law
firm Baker & McKenzie, giving details about their operations.
An independent specialist assessed the company submissions
on the strength of anti-trafficking policies already in place,
as well as their ability to identify and respond to problems.
The six new additional categories were judged by a panel of
influential leaders in the global fight to end slavery - a goal
that has been set by the United Nations as achievable by 2030.
The Stop Slavery Award has previously been won by brands
such as U.S. tech behemoths Apple and Intel, sports giant German
sportswear giant Adidas, and consumer goods company Unilever
(Writing by Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith.
Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm
of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and
LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate
change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
