Agenda item

9.34pm – Councillor Sue Fennimore moved, seconded by Councillor Max Schmid (standing in for Councillor Sue Macmillan), the special motion in their names.

“This Council supports the Charter Against Modern Slavery.

It will....

1.         Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.

2.         Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.

3.         Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.

4.         Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.

5.         Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

6.         Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

7.         Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.

8.         Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.

9.         Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.

10.       Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Sue Fennimore and Max Schmid (for the Administration) – and Councillor Matt Thorley (for the Opposition). Councillor Sue Fennimore made a speech winding up the debate before the special motion was put to the vote:

FOR                            UNANIMOUS

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING            0

The special motion was declared CARRIED.

9.41pm – RESOLVED

This Council supports the Charter Against Modern Slavery.

It will....

1.         Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.

2.         Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.

3.         Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.

4.         Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.

5.         Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

6.         Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

7.         Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.

8.         Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.

9.         Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.

10.       Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.