TFH Ethical Business Services

Human rights cannot become a bargaining chip.

The United States has proposed an additional 12.5% tariff on Australian goods, claiming Australia has failed to adequately prevent imports made with forced labour. The proposal is part of a wider action involving 60 economies. It is still under consultation, with written comments due by 6 July 2026.

We agree that forced labour demands stronger action. The International Labour Organization estimates that 27.6 million people are trapped in forced labour worldwide. Illegal profits reach US$236 billion each year. Behind every number is a person whose freedom has been taken away.

Yet tariffs applied across whole countries are a blunt tool. They risk turning a grave human rights abuse into a trade argument, while failing to target the goods, sectors and business practices where exploitation is occurring.

Australia’s Anti-Slavery Commissioner Chris Evans accused Trump of using a serious human rights issue as a “play thing” in a broader trade war, undermining genuine anti-slavery efforts.

His concern deserves attention.

Australia should also resist the temptation to become defensive. Our Modern Slavery Act was a meaningful first step, but reporting alone is not enough. We need laws that lead to change for workers, stronger consequences when businesses fail to act, and a forced labour import ban that targets goods linked to exploitation.

For business leaders, there is work to do now:

1. Ask where the greatest forced labour risks sit in your supply chain, including beyond your direct suppliers.
2. Listen to survivor-informed advice before choosing your next action.

Modern slavery is too serious to be used as political cover. It is also too serious for Australia to settle for minimum compliance.

Small, practical steps taken with care can protect people. And one of those small steps can simply be to save this post or share it with a leader who can act!

We are always happy to chat, so DM us.

What does impact look like after trauma?

Impact is not a slogan. It’s outcomes over time.

In 2025, TFH reports 78 survivors employed and 105 survivors living independently.

That’s what ethical investment can help unlock: confidence, stability, and real pathways forward.

If you want your EOFY giving to move beyond awareness into action, link is in the comments.

Compliance-only training often has a narrow goal: reduce risk to the organisation.

That goal is understandable. Boards want assurance. Executives want clarity. Teams want to know their responsibilities.

But survivor-informed training expands the goal. It asks: how do we reduce harm to people while strengthening the organisation’s response?

That shift changes everything.
It changes how concerns are escalated. It changes whether a response is safe, respectful and credible.

Read our full article on why Australian businesses need to move beyond compliance. (link in first comment)

The Freedom Hub works with organisations ready to build training that protects people, not just reputations.

These are not soft considerations. They are operational ones… Is the person safe?

Is the setting appropriate?
Is an interpreter needed?
Has consent been meaningfully sought?
Could the next step increase danger?

These are the kinds of questions that matter when a modern slavery concern is raised. They are also the questions many staff are never trained to ask.

Survivor-informed training helps organisations turn values into practical response.

Read the full article to see why this kind of training is becoming essential for Australian workplaces. (link in comments)

The Freedom Hub can help your team build confidence, care and capability.

Survivor Informed Training Australia Needs - The Freedom Hub Survivor-informed training in Australia helps businesses respond to modern slavery with care and practical action that protects people.

We love our new little meeting place at Westpac HQ. While we are fitting out our own new HQ a few of our team gather here once a month to get out of the house and connect with each other.

Do work from home? How do you stay connected?

“Freedom is not free, but it is worth it.”

When survivors escape modern slavery, many arrive with nothing, and with deep fear and trauma.

TFH’s Survivor School programs create a safe community through classes, coaching, and real-world skill building. In 2025, TFH delivered 221 classes and excursions.

EOFY is your window to make a tangible contribution to recovery, dignity, and opportunity.

Donation link in the comments.

Slavery in Melbourne. Found guilty.

Yes it happens in Australia.

“He forced the woman into unpaid labour, controlled her movements, food and sleep, exploited her financially, and denied her access to proper medical care.”

“He is accused of kicking the woman in the face, hitting her with a vacuum cleaner shaft and smashing her head through a wall during an eight-month period”

Read the ABC report here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-22/melbourne-man-found-guilty-keeping-woman-as-slave/106712604

Melbourne man found guilty of keeping woman as a slave The court heard the man had beaten the woman and deprived her of food while forcing her into unpaid labour at his home.

What countries are high risk of modern slavery? Well we would say all!

However today, 1 June, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) listed the world’s worst countries for global rights, and shockingly the USA has been placed on the watch list.

“A record 72% of countries deny workers access to justice, while half have arrested or detained workers. Violence against workers is rising, with a 6% increase in attacks documented in 2026. Attacks on free speech and assembly have risen by 5% and are now reported in 50% of countries - also a record high. Civil liberties violations have increased by 3%, with trade union leaders increasingly targeted through arrests, persecution and, in some countries, killing.”

We are grateful that a Human Rights Act has been put forward in Australia and we hope by saving and sharing this post you will learn more and raise awareness.
Are you surprised at any of the countries listed?

Read the full ITUC Global Rights Index in the link in comments.

https://www.ituc-csi.org/ituc-global-rights-index-2026