This Council notes that:
· Although Slavery was abolished in the UK over 180 years ago, globally there are more slaves today than ever before in Human History, with a suggestion of more than 40 million people in modern slavery across the world.
· There were over 10,000 people identified within the UK in 2019, but the real number trapped in slavery is estimated to be much higher.
· Modern slavery in the UK can take many forms, including forced sexual exploitation, domestic and forced labour slavery, driven for cheap services and product with no regard for the people behind them.
· Over 30 cases of child trafficking and slavery were identified in Kent last year.
This Council agrees that action needs to be taken to raise awareness of modern slavery. Council, therefore, resolves to:
1. Write to Medway MPs requesting that they collectively raise this important matter with relevant colleagues and within the House of Commons.
2. Request the Cabinet to agree to ensure the Council’s procurement team is trained to understand modern day slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply, and that all Council contractors fully comply with the Modern Day Slavery Act 2015.
3. Request the Cabinet to agree to take strong and immediate action to refer any concerns identified in relation to modern slavery to the appropriate agencies for investigation.
Minutes:
“This Council notes that:
· Although Slavery was abolished in the UK over 180 years ago, globally there are more slaves today than ever before in Human History, with a suggestion of more than 40 million people in modern slavery across the world.
· There were over 10,000 people identified within the UK in 2019, but the real number trapped in slavery is estimated to be much higher.
· Modern slavery in the UK can take many forms, including forced sexual exploitation, domestic and forced labour slavery, driven for cheap services and product with no regard for the people behind them.
· Over 30 cases of child trafficking and slavery were identified in Kent last year.
This Council agrees that action needs to be taken to raise awareness of modern slavery. Council, therefore, resolves to:
1. Write to Medway MPs requesting that they collectively raise this important matter with relevant colleagues and within the House of Commons.
2. Request the Cabinet to agree to ensure the Council’s procurement team is trained to understand modern day slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply, and that all Council contractors fully comply with the Modern Day Slavery Act 2015.
3. Request the Cabinet to agree to take strong and immediate action to refer any concerns identified in relation to modern slavery to the appropriate agencies for investigation.”
Councillor Andy Stamp, supported by Councillor Hubbard, proposed the following amendment:
Delete everything up to and including “This Council agrees that action needs to be taken to raise awareness of modern slavery. Council, therefore, resolves to:”
Add: “In January 2019 the following motion was agreed by council:
Modern slavery is a hidden issue; the Home Office estimated that in 2013 there were between 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK. This means that there is a chance that modern slavery is taking place here in Medway without our knowledge.
This Council welcomes the recognition of this issue by the Archbishop of Canterbury on his recent visit to Medway.
This Council notes the hard work of multiple organisations to develop a new charter to ensure there is no place for modern day slavery in the supply chains used by local authorities.
This Charter proposes that each council shall:
1. Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply
2. Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance
3. Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery
4. Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one
5. Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery
6. Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
7. Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.
8. Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.
9. Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
10. Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.
This Council notes that it already has in place rigorous procedures in order to comply with the above Charter and prevent the inclusion of modern day slavery through any of the Council’s supply chains. Such measures include:
1. Full time members of the Procurement team undertake the CIPS’s online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply annually
2. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is included in the Council’s standard documentation based on a pass/fail criteria for compliance
3. The Procurement team use the Abnormally Low Calculator (ALC) to challenge low bids from contractors during the tender process, in line with Article 69 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
4. The Council includes in its tender documentation that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.
5. The Council has a comprehensive whistle-blowing system, enshrined in the Council’s Constitution and readily available on the Council’s website. The need for contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy is also included in tender documentation.
6. All of the Council’s corporate spend is channelled through the Category Management team, whereby all new areas of spend are benchmarked to ensure none are abnormally low and therefore require further scrutiny.
7. The Procurement team is aware and highlights when appropriate; Any risks identified concerning modern slavery for its suppliers, and refers them to the relevant agencies to be addressed; the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism and the referral of any of the Council’s contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
This Council resolves to:
Continue to uphold its high standards to ensure that this Council complies with the Charter.
This council regrets that to date it has not reported publicly on the implementation of the charter despite the clear resolution agreed in January 2019.
This council agrees to:”
Retain 1. “Write to Medway MPs requesting that they collectively raise this important matter with relevant colleagues and within the House of Commons.”
Delete 2. and 3.
Add new 2. “Receive its annual report on progress on the implementation of the policy at the October full council meeting.”
On being put to the vote, the amendment was lost.
Councillors Adeoye, Cooper, Hubbard, Johnson, Khan, Mahil, Maple, Murray, Osborne and Andy Stamp requested that their votes in favour of the amendment be recorded in accordance with Council Rule 12.6.
Decision:
The substantive motion was agreed:
This Council notes that:
· Although Slavery was abolished in the UK over 180 years ago, globally there are more slaves today than ever before in Human History, with a suggestion of more than 40 million people in modern slavery across the world.
· There were over 10,000 people identified within the UK in 2019, but the real number trapped in slavery is estimated to be much higher.
· Modern slavery in the UK can take many forms, including forced sexual exploitation, domestic and forced labour slavery, driven for cheap services and product with no regard for the people behind them.
· Over 30 cases of child trafficking and slavery were identified in Kent last year.
This Council agrees that action needs to be taken to raise awareness of modern slavery. Council, therefore, resolves to:
1. Write to Medway MPs requesting that they collectively raise this important matter with relevant colleagues and within the House of Commons.
2. Request the Cabinet to agree to ensure the Council’s procurement team is trained to understand modern day slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply, and that all Council contractors fully comply with the Modern Day Slavery Act 2015.
3. Request the Cabinet to agree to take strong and immediate action to refer any concerns identified in relation to modern slavery to the appropriate agencies for investigation.
Councillors Cooper, Hubbard, Johnson, Khan, Mahil, Maple, Murray, Osborne and Andy Stamp requested that their votes in against the substantive motion be recorded in accordance with Council Rules 12.6.