Date: September 24

MPs show support for new law banning slavery in products

The voices of 17,000 New Zealand consumers concerned about the part they may unwittingly be playing in the slave trade, were represented in a petition that was handed over at parliament grounds on August 23rd.

The large response from the public was mirrored in parliament with 13 MPs from across the parties registering for the event, with apologies put forward by several others. The successful petition is the result of a concentrated 7 week campaign run by Trade Aid to raise awareness about the conditions experienced by the workers of some product imported into New Zealand – some of those workers are likely to be victims of a growing modern day slave trade. The Trade Aid petition asks for the prohibition of products made with slave labour entering New Zealand markets.

Slavery Still Exists is the theme of the Trade Aid campaign and is based on recent research  estimating that 27 million men, women and children are victims of slavery around the world. From developed to developing countries, these slaves are forced to work through physical or mental restraint, trafficked across borders and guarded against escape. The campaign focuses only on slave labour rather than the other forms of exploitation more commonly talked about such as sweat shop and child labour. The campaign brings the issue closer to home by pointing out the link between the slaves and the products they make that may end up on supermarket shelves and on retailers’ racks.

MP Dianne Yates accepted Trade Aid’s invitation to receive the petition on August 23rd. As Chair of the Select Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Dianne updated the crowd on the process the petition would take once the Clerk had checked its legitimacy stating “the petition goes to the house and then will be sent to the select committee where we will consider it” adding “I’m particularly pleased to receive this petition”.

Trade Aid formed the petition because it believes the issue requires more than just an increase in consumer awareness. Geoff White, General Manager of Trade Aid says “that although no New Zealander would raise their hand in support of slavery, moral outrage is not enough to stop our involvement because profit is overriding the morality of business where slavery may be present”.

A recent example, from an ongoing court case in the US, a country which established a similar anti slavery law in 1983, highlights this attitude in global trade with recorded statements from the accused cocoa importers saying their Statements of Corporate Responsibility about slavery should be seen as aspirational only, that there should be no expectation they will take any action. With the alarming and increasing trend of modern day slavery brought to the attention of the New Zealand public, they in contrast have voted with their signatures for their right to know that slavery plays no part in the products they use and consume.

As Geoff White told those attending the event “you have all voted for change, it is now up to our politicians to ensure that as a country we are at the forefront to put an end to the abhorrence of slavery”.