Cases of labour exploitation have been found in factories, farms, fishing boats and sweatshops around the world, where Australian businesses or their suppliers or contractors operate. As a result, products sold here in Australia may have been produced using forced or child labour.
Australian businesses cannot ignore their responsibilities to the people who work for them or the communities they affect. They must respect human rights. This includes avoiding any involvement, through its own activities or business relationships, in forced or child labour.
When customers speak, companies listen. Demand better behaviour from business! Demand that businesses:
- Have policies and practices that seek to address their direct and indirect impacts on labour exploitation worldwide.
- Fully disclose these efforts to identify and reduce the risk of forced or child labour in their operations through their annual reporting.
- Understand your role as a consumer, as an investor, as a voter or as an influencer. This factsheet shows how you can make a difference.
- A guide for business. Give local businesses a copy of these guidelines to help the address the risk of labour exploitation.
- Let your wallet do the talking! Companies listen to profits. The rise in sales of ethically certified goods will help convince them they should address labour exploitation within their products. The Guide to Ethical Shopping provides details on everyday ethical products.
- Send business a card. The next time you shop, tell the shopkeeper or manufacturer that you want them to ensure your product was produced without the exploitation of child labourers or risk to the men and women who made it. Give them a card.
- Do good business in your community by telling your Federal MP you won’t tolerate trafficking and encourage them to engage local businesses to address this issue. Click here for points to include in your letter.
Information for businesses
Find out where your business may risk contributing to forced or
child labour and take these steps to start addressing it.
Do you have a complex supply chain? Read the Guidelines for
Addressing Labour Exploitation in supply chains.