Addressing and understanding forced labour: why it matters and how we can take action
In our ongoing commitment to uphold human rights and ethical business practices, we are proud to introduce our new guidance on Understanding and addressing forced labour, why it matters and how we can take action. Forced labour is a complex issue that, beyond the necessary policies, needs active measures to address it. Umicore’s guidance is a first step for our employees and business partners to fully understand what forced labour means, how it manifests itself and what actions are necessary to prevent and tackle it.
Forced labour is a widespread and growing problem affecting global value chains. According to Walk Free organization there were 27.6 million people in forced labour on any given day in 2021, which is an increase of 2.7 million compared to 2016. Additionally, the International Labour Organization (ILO) stated in 2024 that 85% of forced labour occurs in situations where individuals are coerced to work against their will by private entities, which can include individuals and businesses, rather than by the state or government.
As a responsible business, Umicore has a role to play in combating this issue through awareness and collaboration. We expect our business partners to join us in this effort. Our guidance provides clear and actionable steps to prevent, identify and address forced labour within our operations and supply chains.
The guidance covers
- Comprehensive and detailed definitions including indicators and examples to ensure a clear understanding of the issue.
- 8 requirements on the elimination of any form of forced labour that we expect from our business partners – following Umicore’s Global Sustainable Sourcing policy. These include, but are not limited to, clear contracts, debt-free work, document safety and freedom of termination.
- Additional recommendations beyond the 11 ILO indicators of forced labour to help our business partners to meet our expectations
- Materials to educate employees and suppliers about the risks and signs of forced labour
By sharing this guidance through our value chain, we aim to protect vulnerable workers and promote fair labour practices, while reinforcing responsible business practices. We will continuously review and update our guidance to reflect best practices and emerging trends in combating forced labour.
At Umicore, we believe that the more our employees and business partners understand, and address forced labour, the more likely we will be able to eradicate it from our value chain.