Plan to fight slavery will put pressure on thousands of UK companies

The United Kingdom will ask thousands of British companies to combat slavery in their own are of work.

Starting in October, about 12,000 companies  with a turnover of 36,000 Pounds or more will have to report about what they are doing to stop trafficking and slavery in their supply chains.

Under the measures - which are part of the Modern Slavery Act - all large companies will be required to publish an annual statement setting out what steps they are taking to ensure that slave labour is not being used.

Prime Minister David Cameron announced these measures in a trip to Vietnam, which is one of the main source countries for victims of human trafficking in the UK.

David Cameron vowed to stamp out the “abhorrent trade” and added that those responsible would face "tougher sanctions".

The British government offered extra co-operation with the Vietnamese authorities to combat human trafficking. About 3,000 children from the country are thought to be working in British cannabis farms and nail bars.

ACTIVISTS: EVERYONE IS “TIED UP IN THE WEBS”

Aidan McQuade, director of Anti Slavery International, said a large proportion of clothing, particularly cotton, had some element of slave labour involved in its production.

“We are all tied up in the webs that ultimately have forced labour and slavery within them,” he said.

But while he welcomed the government's plans he said there were a number of loopholes that needed to be closed including the fact that overseas subsidiaries of UK companies did not have to comply.