This statement shall be reviewed annually.
This statement sets out GMB's actions to understand all potential modern slavery risks related to its business and to put in place steps that are aimed at ensuring that there is no slavery or human trafficking in its own business and its supply chains. This statement relates to actions and activities during the financial year 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.
GMB recognises that it has a responsibility to take a robust approach to slavery and human trafficking.
The organisation is absolutely committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in its corporate activities, and to ensuring that its supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.
GMB, Britain’s general union, represents over 620,000 members throughout the UK in both the private and the public sectors. We have members working in the following areas of:
The GMB represents members in the workplace, striving to deliver good quality advice and representation through our network of lay branch representatives and our employed staff. We exist to ensure that working people can have an equal bargaining position with employers, organisations and that the rights of working people are upheld and extended.
We have around 600 employees working across 9 regions across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In addition we have National Office in London and our National Administration Unit based in Scotland.
GMB has an annual turnover of £69 million.
GMB is an accredited real living wage employer. As a living wage employer, we give a commitment that all of our direct and indirect employees are paid at least the ‘real living wage’. We also make sure our staff have decent terms and conditions of employment; similarly we demand that contractors undertaking any work for us have a similar ethical approach to the treatment of their employees and workers. The following is the process by which the company assesses whether or not particular activities or countries are high risk in relation to slavery or human trafficking:
Responsibility for the organisation's anti-slavery initiatives are as follows:
The organisation operates the following policies that describe its approach to the identification of modern slavery risks and steps to be taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking in its operations:
Whistleblowing policy - The organisation encourages all its workers, customers and other business partners to report any concerns related to the direct activities, or the supply chains of, the organisation. This includes any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human trafficking. The organisation's whistleblowing procedure is designed to make it easy for workers to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation.
Employee code of conduct - The organisation's code makes clear to employees the actions and behaviour expected of them when representing the organisation. The organisation strives to maintain the highest standards of employee conduct and ethical behaviour when operating abroad and managing its supply chain.
Suppliers The organisation is committed to ensuring that its suppliers adhere to the highest standards of ethics. Suppliers are required to demonstrate that they provide safe working conditions where necessary, treat workers with dignity and respect, and act ethically and within the law in their use of labour. The organisation works with suppliers to ensure that they meet the standards of the code and improve their worker's working conditions. However, serious violations of the organisation's supplier code of conduct will lead to the termination of the business relationship.
Recruitment - The organisation uses only specified, reputable employment agencies to source labour and always verifies the practices of any new agency it is using before accepting workers from that agency.
The organisation undertakes due diligence when considering taking on new suppliers and regularly reviews its existing suppliers. The organisation's due diligence and reviews include:
The organisation has reviewed its key performance indicators (KPIs). As a result, the organisation is:
The organisation requires all appropriate staff within the organisation to complete training on modern slavery.
The organisation's modern slavery training covers:
This statement shall be reviewed annually.