Report links brick making to modern slavery

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Bricks from 21 countries are produced using forced or child labour, including China and India, two of the top three countries exporting bricks worldwide, according to a new report on modern slavery.

The information, from labour rights organisation Verité, was included in a new report from Lexis Nexis that found the global construction industry faces a “strong risk” of modern slavery. In particular, India was singled out with the brick sector being criticised for promoting bonded labour and debt bondage.

It referred to an investigation that found around 50,000 to 100,000 brick kilns function in India and that the way the sector operated promoted bonded labour and debt bondage.

The report, called Hidden in Plain Site – Modern Slavery in the Construction Industry, analysed articles from more than 6,000 licensed news sources in more than 100 countries in Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Africa and Asia between January 2015 and May 2016.

It found that with an estimated 7% of the global workforce now working in construction and so many different levels in the supply chain, forced labour and exploitation are common and are often concealed and subject to inadequate prevention, policing and prosecution.

Other case studies in the report include allegations of forced labour being used to build World Cup 2022 stadiums in Qatar, a marine construction project in the USA, and Brazilian workers at an industrial plant in Angola.

According to the report the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that of the $150bn profit generated annually by forced economic exploitation around the world, $34bn (23%) is made in the construction, manufacturing, mining and utilities industries.

Also, in a 2015 research report by the European Union, construction was number two on the list of economic sectors in the EU most prone to labour exploitation.

Since its introduction in March 2015, the Modern Slavery Act has been galvanising the industry and making companies more aware for the need for better practice and monitoring of their supply chain.

Kevin Hyland, UK independent anti-slavery commissioner, said: “I am pleased to see numerous sectors waking up to the crime of modern slavery, and the Lexis Nexis BIS report excellently educates those in the construction industry on this evil crime.”

He added: “Those in construction are especially vulnerable to this crime; with high demand for low wage labour, we must therefore strive to see a thriving construction industry that values ethical recruitment and fair employment if we ever hope to end this evil trade in human beings.”

In July, new prime minister Theresa May also pledged to spend £33m on global initiatives to tackle modern slavery. She described it as “the great human rights issue of our time”.

Over the summer, the CIOB launched its own study covering slavery in the industry. The report, titled Building a Fairer System: Tackling Modern Slavery in Construction Supply Chains, aims to investigate the root causes of modern slavery, looking particularly at labour and materials supply – where worker abuses often occur. It also highlights examples of good practice.