You might wonder how is modern slavery relevant to life on the Gold Coast?
Is it just another woke agenda?
The reality is modern slavery has surged by 10 million in the past decade, now ensnaring 50 million people globally.
These invisible chains can bind cleaners, construction workers, fruit pickers, factory labourers and nannies.
Today’s slaves are often hiding in plain sight when they build our tech, clean our houses, massage our bodies, and sew our fashion.
A few years ago I met Maria* (*not her real name), one of Australia’s estimated 41,000 modern slaves.
Maria, a 28-year-old Brazilian lady, came to Australia to learn English and gain employment as a nanny.
She initially felt joy and respect when she started working as a live-in nanny for a South East Queensland family.
But over time they demeaned her, played mind games, demanded more work hours, stopped paying her, and confiscated her passport.
Her employer threatened Maria, saying he had police contacts if she stepped out of line.
On phone calls to me she would say, “I’m shaking, I’m shaking!” with fear.
It took several attempts to remove Maria from what was a domestic servitude situation.
After a few months of leaving that job and staying with us she slowly regained her sense of worth and could see through the lies she’d been told.
We connected with the Fair Work Ombudsman which sadly confirmed the abuse Maria received was an all-too-common scenario for non-English-speaking nannies.
Personally, I was left with an uncomfortable question.
Much of her former female employer’s background matched mine; that is, we were both Anglo, middle-class, middle-aged and middle-management government workers.
What disturbed me was I had to answer myself the question: Would I have acted differently in the same situation if I was Maria’s employer?
The 2018 Modern Slavery Act mandates organisations with over $100 million in revenue to report on their operations, supply chains and risk management regarding modern slavery.
Two weeks ago a representative from Neumann Steel (on the Gold Coast) shared with my students how firms had lost contracts over modern slavery concerns.
One student reflected, “Wouldn't it be great if Orange (a tech company) had zero tolerance for modern slavery like Neumann Steel.”
Another student’s reflection on supply chains was a desire for us all to be conscientious consumers.
Nobody likes using products made unfairly, be it a t-shirt, solar panel, or laptop.
Other types of modern slavery are better known and include sex trafficking, child trafficking, and forced marriage.
Recently there was a media story on how people smugglers are targeting international students wanting to go to Australian universities.
These students are at risk of being caught up in sexual servitude because of their vulnerability to Australia’s housing crisis – some have been forced to trade sex for accommodation.
We should not deceive ourselves that modern slavery cannot occur on the Gold Coast.
Part of the Coast’s allure — clean beaches and a thriving tourist industry — also makes it a potential haven for labour exploitation.
Hospitality, service sectors, and the construction industry often rely on low-wage, temporary migrant workers who can face coercion and abuse.
As consumers and business leaders, we can combat modern slavery by buying goods through the International Fair Trade Charter which sets out a vision for a world in which justice, equity and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures, business models and practices.
We should be questioning our suppliers and retailers, researching before spending, and avoiding known exploiters.
Businesses should declare zero tolerance for modern slavery and regularly review their supply chains.
Meaningfully addressing sustainability involves tackling modern slavery.
Organisations like the Red Cross, Walk Free, Hope for Justice, and Mercy Foundation offer valuable resources in this area.
This positioning can be challenging amid a cost-of-living crisis. Yet, the cost of inaction is higher.
I witnessed the devastating impact modern slavery had on Maria. It was ugly.
Exploiting the vulnerable, whether the chains are visible or not, is indefensible.
Gold Coast residents are good people—let us ensure our actions reflect our values.
Clare Burns is Chair of the Business School Sustainability Committee at Bond University - a signatory of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that aim to end modern slavery, trafficking, and child labour.