Modern Slavery Disclosure Regulation and Global Supply Chains: Insights from Stakeholder Narratives on the UK Modern Slavery Act

The purpose of this article is to problematise a particular social transparency and disclosure regulation in the UK, that transcend national boundaries in order to control (modern) slavery in supply chains operating in the developing world. Drawing on notions from the regulatory and sociology literature, i.e. transparency and normativity, and by interviewing anti-slavery activists and experts, this study explores the limitations of the disclosure and transparency requirements of the UK Modern Slavery Act and, more specifically, how anti-slavery activists experience and interpret the new regulations and the regulators' implementation of the regulation. This research found limited confidence among anti-slavery activists regarding the Act's call for transparency in relation to the elimination of slavery from global supply chains. The research also found that the limits of the transparency provisions within the Act appear to hinder the attainment of normativity. This study provides new and unique insights into the critical role that social activists play in exposing the lack of corporate transparency and failures of responsibility to protect workers within global supply chains.

Automated summary

This study explores the limitations of the disclosure and transparency requirements of the UK Modern Slavery Act, focusing on how anti-slavery activists experience and interpret the regulations. It found that there is limited confidence among activists regarding the Act's call for transparency in eliminating slavery from global supply chains, and that the transparency provisions within the Act appear to hinder the attainment of normativity. The research highlights the critical role that social activists play in exposing corporate lack of transparency and failures to protect workers within global supply chains.