September 24, 2018 3.08 pm This story is over 66 months old

South Kesteven councillor calls for slavery solutions

‘We must do more’
| Photo: Stock image

A South Kesteven District Councillor is set to call on his authority to do more to help eradicate modern slavery.

Labour member Phil Dilks will put forward a motion on Thursday, in which he calls on the council to commit to ensuring its staff and partners are trained and compliant with laws surrounding the issue, and to identify potential slavery.

This also includes ‘challenging any abnormally low-cost tenders or offers to work in partnership’.

Councillor Phil Dilks

Councillor Dilks says his motion follows the conviction and jailing last year of 11 members of a fraud and slavery ring in Lincolnshire and the confirmation by Lincolnshire Police they have more ongoing investigations.

In his motion he says: “Lincoln Crown Court heard horrific stories of how the gang forced 18 victims into gruelling jobs and squalid living conditions over a long period.

“The National Crime Agency stated that the horrific case was ‘merely the tip of the iceberg and there are thousands of people being kept as slaves in the UK – far more than previously thought and affecting all types of communities across every part of the country’.”

“In the spirit of working to do everything within its power to eradicate this and recognising recent changes in the way projects and services may be delivered, the Council now resolves to take the lead in strengthening and building on its existing public statement on Modern Slavery.”

His motion also calls for the ability of contracted workers to join trade unions and whistleblower policies to be written and adopted into contracts.

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