A BBC investigation has revealed that signs of modern slavery were missed for years at a McDonald’s branch in Cambridgeshire and a factory supplying bread products to major UK supermarkets. Six members of a Czech family-run human trafficking network were convicted for forcing 16 victims to work under exploitative conditions. The victims, who were vulnerable and often homeless or struggling with addiction, had their wages stolen by the gang while living in squalid conditions. Despite earning at least the legal minimum wage, their pay was funneled into accounts controlled by the traffickers. The exploitation ended in 2019 after victims contacted police in the Czech Republic, leading to the gang’s arrest.McDonald’s UK and the British Retail Consortium have since pledged to improve systems for detecting such abuses.
What are your thoughts on how businesses can better prevent such exploitation in the future?
