For Anti-Slavery Day 2026, VGC Group highlights the safeguards, partnerships, and practical resources that help protect workers from exploitation across construction and infrastructure.
Modern slavery can be difficult to recognise, even when it is happening in plain sight. In construction and infrastructure, where workers may be recruited through multiple organisations and move between projects, identifying the warning signs and acting on concerns is particularly important.
For Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October 2026, VGC Group is highlighting the steps we take to help prevent forced labour, human trafficking and worker exploitation across our temporary workforce supply chain.
These include independent assessment through Workforce Assured, working with specialist organisations to strengthen awareness, and making sure our people know where to turn if something doesn’t seem right.
Why modern slavery remains a concern for construction
Modern slavery remains a serious issue in the UK and worldwide. According to Walk Free’s 2023 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 50 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, an increase of 10 million compared with 2016.
Within construction and infrastructure, exploitation can be difficult to detect. Workers may face threats, have wages withheld, lose control of their identity documents or be pressured into working under unsafe or unfair conditions.
Recognising these signs matters, particularly in temporary labour supply chains where multiple employers, agencies and subcontractors may be involved.
How does VGC prevent modern slavery in its supply chain?
In 2025, VGC achieved Workforce Assured, an audit that assesses workforce management practices, including safeguards against modern slavery.
A core part of the assessment examines how businesses identify and prevent forced labour, human trafficking and worker exploitation across complex temporary workforce supply chains.
For VGC, this provides important scrutiny of the processes used to recruit, manage and protect the skilled and professional people working on the UK’s leading infrastructure projects.
Our approach also involves working with organisations that provide specialist guidance, training and resources to help people recognise exploitation and respond appropriately.
Working with partners to strengthen awareness
VGC works with Stronger Together (Stronger2Gether) to raise awareness of modern slavery risks and encourage practical responses.
Ahead of Anti-Slavery Day, we encouraged our teams to join its 14 October webinar, An Introduction to Response and Remedy, which explored how organisations should respond when modern slavery is identified, including effective support and remedy for affected workers.
We also use resources from the Supply Chain Sustainability School to help our people understand how exploitation can develop within construction and infrastructure supply chains.
On 14 October, the School hosted The Escalation of Exploitation: How Modern Slavery Evolves in Plain Sight in Infrastructure Projects. The session explored warning signs within infrastructure projects and included insight from a survivor, shared through Carmichael UK.
Both sessions provided opportunities to learn from people with direct experience and specialist knowledge of the issue.
Know the signs and report concerns
Preventing modern slavery depends on people feeling able to raise concerns and knowing what to do when they suspect someone is being exploited.
VGC supports Unseen, a charity working to end modern slavery, and encourages colleagues to download the Unseen app. It provides information about the signs of exploitation and a way to report concerns.
We encourage everyone working with VGC to familiarise themselves with these resources and speak up if they are worried about someone’s safety or working conditions.
This work builds on VGC’s long-standing focus on tackling exploitation, including CEO Ciara Pryce’s recognition among the Top 100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers in 2018.
Anti-Slavery Day is an opportunity to revisit what we know, improve how we respond and make sure concerns are taken seriously.
Learn the warning signs, download the Unseen app and report any concerns. You can also explore the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s modern slavery resources.
