Author Archives: A K

In a society where millions are still enslaved through compulsory work, the United Kingdom finds itself at a pivotal moment. The current laws, although with good intentions, are not effective enough in tackling the issue of state-enforced forced labour and its goods entering British markets (ILO, 2022). The UK needs to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen its legislation, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but to demonstrate Britain’s strong dedication to justice and ethical labour standards worldwide. 

The Modern Slavery Act 2015, which was revolutionary at the time, is now showing its constraints in addressing state-backed forced labour on a systemic level (UK Government, 2015). This gap can be seen in situations such as Uyghur forced labour in China and North Korean workers sent overseas in harsh conditions (Human Rights Watch, 2023). These situations highlight the immediate requirement for laws that can efficiently tackle complicated forced labour cases involving the state and stop contaminated goods from being sold in UK markets.

The UK should introduce a wide range of reforms that align with principles of freedom, fairness, democracy, society, human rights, global cooperation, and environmental protection, to enhance laws against forced labour. These changes should involve strict regulations on imports believed to be produced using forced labour and increased due diligence obligations for companies to carefully examine their supply chains (LeBaron and Rühmkorf, 2019). There is already growing recognition of this issue, as demonstrated by a recent press release from the Liberal Democrats Hong Kong, which calls for consumers to stop buying products like Xinjiang cotton due to its connection to forced labour (https://www.libdemshk.org.uk/news/article/consumers-action-lets-remember-stop-buying-xinjiang-cotton )