Modern slavery is unfortunately, still a very real issue, and one which Severn Trent takes very seriously.
Monday 18th October marks Anti-Slavery Day, designed to raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery and to encourage government, local authorities, companies, charities and individuals to do what they can to address the problem.
Created by Anthony Steen CBE, now Chair of the Human Trafficking Foundation, Anti-Slavery Day was introduced via the Anti-Slavery Day Act (2010), with three aims. Firstly, to “acknowledge that millions of men, women and children continue to be victims of slavery, depriving them of basic human dignity and freedom.” To “raise awareness amongst young people and others of the dangers and consequences of slavery, human trafficking and exploitation and encourage them to be proactive in the fight against it.” And finally, “draw attention to the progress made by government and those working to combat all forms of slavery, human trafficking and exploitation, and (to) what more needs to be done.”
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 sets out companies’ responsibilities to eradicate slavery and human trafficking, and Severn Trent takes its responsibility under this Act extremely seriously. We are committed to taking the appropriate steps to eradicate modern slavery both within our business and supply chains.
You can read further information about the work we are doing by reading our 2021 statement below.