Unseen UK, with its partners, commits to creating and developing TISCReport, an online central registry to capture the reports made by companies in compliance with the UKs Modern Slavery legislation. Section 54 of the UK Modern Slavery Act requires all companies doing business in the UK with revenues at or above £36 million to produce an annual report on the steps they are taking to prevent slavery in their operations and supply chains, get board-level sign off on the report, and then publish it on the company website. By joining TISCReport, companies will also voluntarily publish their reports in this central registryparticipating in the creation of a central database of easily accessible public information and demonstrating their commitment to transparency and to combatting modern slavery.
The registry will not tier or benchmark businesses, but will provide a single access point for academics, businesses, government, and non-government agencies to assess the quality of the statements and follow up on any promised actions. It will be targeted at all groups: the general public, consumers, investors, business, and non-government. The registry will be established as a social and philanthropic enterprise to provide a neutral platform on which businesses can demonstrate their commitment to tackling modern slavery, and engage consciously and proactively with this important issue. In addition to being able to publish their report on the site, TISCReport members will also be able to access support in achieving better standards and practices, confidential help and advice, and introductions to other companies with strong anti-slavery records.
An estimated 55% of those effected by modern slavery are women and girls. Reporting the steps companies are taking to combat modern slavery will have the end result of delivering decent work down the supply chains thus reducing vulnerability to exploitation and improving the lives of women and girls implemented in the global supply chain.
TISCReport will offer a tiered fee structure to companies required to report, with fees starting at £200+VAT per year and increasing based on the size of the company. The model will allow for the sustainable funding of the registry. Once profitable, the 50% of TISCReports revenues will go toward developing and running the UKs Modern Slavery Helpline and Resource Centre, which Unseen has been selected to oversee starting in October 2016. Should there be revenues above and beyond those required to run the registry and the helpline, those additional funds will underwrite the provision of direct services to survivors of modern slavery.
Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) companies will also be able to file reports on the registry for free as affiliates. Their participation in the registry reflects a commitment to raising awareness of transparency in supply chains and contributes necessary information about the role that smaller companies play as suppliers, offering assurance to the larger businesses who are their customers.
March 2016 - Finish developing the beta site and take the site live. Begin the process of marketing the site and on-boarding companies.
Monthly recruit companies and gain support from more umbrella organizations (already have backing of ICC, CIPS, Business West, and Welsh Government)
By end of 2016 recruited 400 companies who have filed across all levels of membership depending on size of organization. Gained support of Scotland Government.
2017 Q1 200 additional companies filed; Q2 250; Q3 300; Q4 350 Total 1,100 (1,500 cumulative)
End of 2018 Funding for Modern Slavery Helpline at a 75% sustainable level and 2,500 companies signed up
End of 2019 5,000 companies signed up and Helpline funding covering all associated costs thereby ensuring the delivery of help for victims of modern slavery to call for help, for the general population to call in with information and tips. For frontline staff to be able to access the Helpline for help and advice on how to deal with incidences of modern slavery and for business to be able to safely report concerns around modern slavery within their scope of operations as well as seek advice as to how to proceed or further enhance their commitment to tackle modern slavery. Business will also be able to receive trends analysis of modern slavery developments and typologies.
End of 2020 7,500 companies registered and funding to enable the development of additional sustainable funded Helplines around the globe to further the fight against modern slavery.
Globalization, whilst lifting millions out of poverty, has also trapped millions in situations of modern slavery and forced labor. This illicit supply and demand trade in human beings, fueled by a demand for cheap goods, cheap services, cheap labor, and sometimes pure greed has unfortunately been exacerbated by the global business model of rapid time to market, procurement predicated on a model of profit margin alone, and an addiction to an extractive profit model of capitalism. Sadly, the result of this is slavery, embedded in the supply webs that span our globe. But castigating business is not the way forward. Business, without doubt, can be the force for good in this situation. Positive engagement, by encouraging and unleashing the creativity of business to tackle this issue, could be a vital and major step towards a fairer, freer world.
In March 2016 Section 54 of the UKs Modern Slavery Act Transparency in Supply Chains etc. (TISC) provision took effect. It required businesses with a global turnover of £36 million or more and doing business in the UK to publish an annual statement about their efforts to tackle slavery in supply chains and their own organization.
A compendium of these statements could create space for brave first steps among companies addressing slavery in their supply chains, for pre-competitive and cross-sector work to tackle deeply entrenched problems, and for forward leaning companies to set the pace to which others will aspire. If this information was made available to the public in an easily-accessible online format, it would also inform consumers, academics, governments, and investors-- enabling the public at large to influence corporate practices.
Unseen seeks businesses to file their anti-slavery reports demonstrating their public commitment to transparency and combatting modern slavery. It also seeks media support particularly into both the business community to make them aware of the registry as well as the general public so they are aware of the potential of the one stop shop for accessing company reports.
For the development of the site, needs include: secure data storage; business sector intelligence/analytics; the development of a collaboration platform; and developing API access for higher level partners and those wishing to carry out analytics of the filed reports.
Unseen and its partners wish to make the registry germane for all businesses across the globe so development and marketing help in taking it global beyond the reach of the UK Modern Slavery legislation is sought.
Unseen offers free access to the public to search the database for company reports: by business; by sector; over time; and by location. Filing with www.tiscreport.org demonstrates a conscious business commitment to transparency.
For businesses, Unseen commits to them retaining control of when and how their statement is shared on a common platform. The website will have a full authentication process to ensure it holds only genuine statements. Businesses will also be able to link to others in their supply chain.
Businesses filing will have access to tools and materials such as an intelligent statement builder and KPI tracker. Businesses will also form a wider community to confidentially share experiences and good practice. Further help, advice, and guidance will be offered to businesses to strengthen their approach over time
