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ARTICLE · 21 DECEMBER 2020

Combatting modern slavery in the construction industry: putting the structures in place

Corrs Chambers Westgarth
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The construction industry is susceptible to modern slavery practices, because of complex and multi-layered supply chains.

AustraliaReal Estate and Construction
Jane Hider
Jane Hider
Sophia Georgeff
Sophia Georgeff
Theodore Argyrakakis
Theodore Argyrakakis
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In 2018 the Commonwealth Government introduced the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) (the Act) to combat modern slavery by driving the business community to proactively and meaningfully reform supply chains and workforce practices in Australia and globally.

Modern slavery includes forced labour, debt bondage, slavery-like conditions, human trafficking, and child labour. In this Insight we examine the specific risks associated with modern slavery in the construction context.

The construction industry is susceptible to modern slavery practices because of the complex and multi-layered supply chains involved in delivering a project. Many different types of businesses and large numbers of people are involved in delivering any one project.

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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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