Modern Slavery in the Supply Chain in Malaysia with PwC

We collaborated with PwC and the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to host a closed-door workshop and roundtable sessions on combatting modern slavery in the supply chain in Malaysia—an initiative by the BMCC’s Sustainability Network.

The workshop offered informative sessions on modern slavery and forced labour, highlighting critical human rights issues and their effects on operations, focusing on Employment, Retention, and Repatriation.

• Employment:
  The workshop delved into supply chain due diligence, a systematic and ongoing risk management process used to proactively address human rights issues and ensure responsible business conduct. A PwC survey revealed that modern slavery could be found throughout the recruitment and orientation processes, and can be inadvertently perpetuated in employment contracts and company policies.
• Retention:
  The session addressed the challenge of retaining local hires and attracting local talent, which can be attributed to government policies and rebranding efforts. The insights provided were crucial for organisations to maintain a stable and committed workforce.
• Repatriation:
  The workshop also addressed the severe impacts that can arise from not complying with employment regulations. The Dhaka Principles were introduced: equal treatment without discrimination and ensuring all workers enjoy employer protection.

The roundtable session then concluded with a discussion on grievance mechanisms that align with talent management and repatriation in the employment ecosystem. This included transparency in handling company data enforcing the right for employees to be heard.

We thank Malar Odayappan, Director of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practice from PwC, for leading the meaningful session!

BMCC Members who are interested in being a part of the talent discussion can join our Talent Network by emailing Yoong@bmcc.org.my.