Our Commitment on Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery
Shiva Hotels LLP is a hotel company with a collection of hotels across the UK. As a growing business, we strive towards running our business in a socially responsible way. We continually engage in dialogue with stakeholders across the industry and in government and civil society in order to reach collaborative solutions to some of the common critical social issues of our time.
Our current commitment is to bring about a model to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking within our organisation and across the industry.
To find out more about our work on this issue, see our 2019/20 Modern Slavery Statment.
See our 2018/19 Modern Slavery Statement here.
The facts
Slavery and human trafficking are illegal. Yet:
- There are still 40.3 million people trapped in modern slavery in the world today.
- The UK government estimates that there are up to 13,000 victims of slavery in the UK alone.
- The ILO estimates that human trafficking is the third-largest illicit moneymaking venture in the world, after drug dealing and the arms trade, generating about $150 billion annually.
- According to UNICEF, at least 10 children are trafficked every week in the UK, exposing them to violence and sexual exploitation.
Our responsibility
As an industry we recognise that we have a responsibility to play a critical role in increasing awareness and taking what positive action we can to prevent this horrific crime, both through our direct business practices and by close monitoring of our supply chains. The hotel and hospitality sector employs over 4.4 million people and contributes over £143 billion the the UK economy. The UK National Crime Agency states that traffickers and organised criminals look for ways to exploit this. Shiva Hotels believes businesses need to take a stand and play a leading role in addressing some of the key risk areas within the industry, including hotel usage, employment and supply chains.
Our approach
We take a zero tolerance approach to human trafficking within our spheres of influence. However, we recognise that eliminating human trafficking is a long, complex process that can only be fully realised through constructive partnerships with law enforcement at all levels, governments, civil society organisations, communities, including our employees and customers, and business across industries. We also recognise that victims and potential victims must be put at the centre of our work. To demonstrate our absolute commitment we are:
- Developing an model in collaboration with Shiva Foundation, which will permeate all our business activities, including supplier codes of conduct, and clear procedures for reporting any suspected incidences.
- Contributing to the prevention of human trafficking, through awareness training and engagement of our employees and guests, where practical.
- Developing and sharing best practice.
It is imperative that all of our hotels obey the law and ensure that their operations comply with relevant standards of ethics and business conduct. It is our obligation to reinforce throughout our networks and value chain the message that illicit activity like human trafficking not only puts our reputation at risk, but also has the potential to endanger our employees and guests.
We are working very closely with Shiva Foundation, a corporate foundation and independent charity, to develop a comprehensive anti trafficking charter for our hotel group. If you would like to assist us in this important work, please contact them at www.shivafoundation.org.uk or [email protected].
Not sure if human trafficking and modern slavery are an issue in the UK?
Check out this video and series to learn more.