Australia targets big business and public sector with modern-day antislavery law
London — Big companies and public bodies in Australia will have to disclose how they tackle modern-day slavery in their operations under a law passed on Thursday that activists say is tougher on business than Britain’s landmark 2015 antislavery legislation. The world’s second modern antislavery law, passed by Australia, requires companies with a turnover of A$100m ($73m) or more to publish annual statements outlining the risk of slavery in supply chains and action taken to tackle it. Yet some human rights groups and trade unions said a lack of financial penalties for companies that flout Australia’s Modern Slavery Act was a missed opportunity. The law was passed amid growing consumer and regulatory pressure upon companies to ensure that their goods and services are untainted by the global slave trade, which is estimated by the UN to affect at least 40-million people. “It’s a significant step forward for modern slavery — it is the strongest legislation in the world,” said Jenn Morris...
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