Canada: bill tabled to require companies to reveal whether they employ forced labour

Julie Miville-Dechêne, the independent Canadian senator, has tabled a bill against modern slavery. Under the text, which has the support of a committee formed by all parties, all companies that employ 250 people or more, generate 40 million Canadian dollars of revenue or have 20 million dollars’ worth of shares on the stock exchange will have to submit an annual report to the federal government detailing their efforts to prevent or reduce modern slavery in their supply chains. Companies that refuse to do so would run the risk of a fine of up to 250,000 Canadian dollars, while those that make false statements would be liable to legal action. How the legislative procedure will pan out remains uncertain, but the Canadian senator hopes the country follows in the footsteps of the United Kingdom (see article n°9173), France (see article n°10079), Australia (see article n°10921) and the Netherlands (see article n°11138) as regards transparency requirements when it comes to respect of fundamental rights at work.