Sectors Relying on Temps Most Exposed to Modern Slavery Risks - UK Labor Agency

Food, catering, cleaning, construction and textiles are among the industries that are at the highest risk of modern slavery and exploitation, Paul Broadbent, the head of UK Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), told Sputnik on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Thursday, UK-based risk consultancy company Verisk Maplecroft issued the Modern Slavery Index 2017. According to the index, a number of EU nations saw a rise in the slavery risk, while both the United Kingdom and Germany have moved up from the "low risk" to the "medium risk" category.

"Industries at risk are those relying on temporary labour, which is usually low skilled and low-paid, we believe that the most high risk economic sectors are food, catering, cleaning, construction and textiles," Broadbent said.

The official said that the change of the United Kingdom's position in the index was allegedly caused by the public's growing attention to the problem, a phenomenon which ultimately resulted in a larger number of recorded cases.

According to Broadbent, the GLAA is sticking to what he has called 4Ps strategy, which stands for prevent, pursue, protect and prepare, to tackle all forms of modern slavery.

In 2014, the UK government estimated that there were between 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims of slavery in the country. However in August 2017, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) reported that there could be "tens of thousands" victims in the United Kingdom.