You’ve received an email from one of your customers or suppliers inviting you to participate in the SlaveCheck platform, and you’re wondering...what’s this all about?
You probably already know about the modern slavery problem. If not, our homepage and other resources on our website provide an overview of the problem, the challenges and how SlaveCheck was designed to address them.
The invitation you received is related to other companies in your supply chain using SlaveCheck's Business Compliance Platform (BCP) to comply with the Australian Modern Slavery Act (MSA). They can't do it without your assistance.
Fortunately, SlaveCheck has made it free, simple and useful for your company to play its part in the compliance process as well as global slavery elimination efforts.
1. It’s Free
SlaveCheck is free for suppliers. As a Free User, you can do all that's required to assist your customers to comply with MSA.
2. It’s Simple
You register your organisation, complete your Slavery Risk Profile (‘SRP’) and use the platform to invite your suppliers to do the same. There's a guided tour in the platform to take you through what you need to do. It should only take you an hour or so each year to do what you need to do. Perhaps a bit longer when you're setting up for the first time.
3. It’s The Right Thing To Do
We, the G20 countries – the world’s 20 wealthiest, most advanced economies – import the bulk of slave-made goods. We are the ones enabling this callous exploitation of a global subclass of humanity – 50 million people, over 10 million of them children. When the cost to fix the problem is so negligible (see next point), how can we ignore it?
4. Cost to Fix The Problem: 5c on a $5 T-shirt
Here's the research Paying a living wage.
5. Protect Your Business From ‘Death by Audit’
Suppliers are increasingly complaining about ‘death by audit’. One supplier reported being subjected to 30 separate audits in one year. With SlaveCheck, you maintain your online Slavery Risk Profile (‘SRP’) and share it online with whoever you choose.
6. Avoid Losing Business / Attract New Customers
Your customers will be coming under increasing pressure to properly address modern slavery – not just from the legislation but also from increasingly ethical consumers and investors. If just one supplier in the supply chain doesn’t do their bit, at some stage your customers will have no choice but to find an alternative source.
7. Increase Sales
Harvard Research shows that products clearly labelled with information about fair labour standards realised 14% higher sales than those that didn’t.
8. Build Pride & Brand Value
Once you’ve been using SlaveCheck for two years - and can demonstrate two years of continuous improvement and compliance with the Act - you can showcase your ethical and responsible credentials to staff, customers, investors and the communities within which you operate.
9. Inspire Others to Make a Difference
Success breeds success. Being able to demonstrate your responsible participation in global slavery elimination efforts may inspire your staff, customers, investors, business partners, philanthropists, industry bodies, community groups – to also participate in the collaboration.
