A scar on the conscience of the world

Globalisation and an increasingly integrated world affects all departments of government. Whether it be shifting security priorities in Defence, tackling FGM in the NHS or tackling tax havens in the Treasury, our political actions must consider both the domestic and foreign impact.

The debate on Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking falls topically between Fairtrade Fortnight and the second anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster. What links all three is the opportunity to shine a light on workers’ rights and how our behaviour here in the UK can impact developing countries, for better or worse.

If parents are earning a fair pay in employment, their children are able to attend school instead of working to supplement the household income. Globally, there are 168 million child workers of which 85 million are involved in hazardous work. Some perform backbreaking work on family farms, some are sold into prostitution and others are paid pennies to sew some of the 80 billion garments produced a year. This is a scar on the conscience of the world.

While I welcome the attention the government has given to cleaning up supply chains, it has not gone far enough. Labour argued for a reporting requirement of all large companies, ensuring comparability and making it apparent if companies were complying.

By changing market conditions we would empower consumers to choose companies who have clean supply chains. This would incentivise multinational companies to improve workers’ rights including living wages, adequate conditions, freedom of association and all other aspects which ensure decent work.

Labour believes that the best route out of poverty is through decent work. The creation and improvement of jobs in developing countries is the bedrock of sustainability and a move away from aid-dependency.

One of the first acts of this Government was to cut DFID’s funding to the International Labour Organisation. Labour will reverse this ideologically-driven decision by reallocating within planned spending. We will support trade unions and work with tripartite groups to ensure the voice of workers is heard by government and companies alike.

FairTrade accounts for over £1.7bn of revenue each year in the UK alone. We will work with the EU and others to extend such schemes and to incentivise companies that want to do the right thing.

DFID must use its existing budget to do more to help the bodies that certify good business behaviour. We will help those who already do this to communicate it to the public to give people a clearer choice over what they buy.

The government has missed an opportunity today. After Labour forced them to even consider legislation on supply chains, they have only implemented the most diluted form of this. By opting for guidance and not binding requirements in reporting, the legislation lacks teeth that will truly improve conditions for vulnerable workers in the supply chain.

Anas Sarwar MP is Shadow Minister of State for International Development