Modern Slavery Statement
This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act and details the steps that have been taken to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain.
Organisation & Structure
The Progroup Construction of companies primarily comprises: –
UK Construction Waste Co trading as Progroup Construction
The group of companies share common administrative and support services which are based at the Head Office in Welwyn Garden City.
The business is primarily concerned with the production and supply of construction materials, waste management services, civil engineering services, and transport solutions. The group currently employs approximately 1,000 people with an annual turnover of £200M and as such is subject to the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The most significant materials from our supply chain are fuel, oil and additives; aggregates; personal protective equipment; vehicle plant and equipment, and office supplies.
Within our supply chain, the supply of personal protective equipment has been identified as a high-risk area on the basis that many of these products are manufactured in countries where the raw materials, such as cotton, are also produced and where foreign migrants make up a proportion of the workforce.
Modern Slavery Policy
Progroup Construction acknowledges its responsibility under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and will ensure transparency within the organisation and within the suppliers of goods and services to the organisation.
We are committed to conducting business to the highest ethical standards and in compliance with all relevant legal principles as part of which we will seek to identify and remove any acts of modern-day slavery and human trafficking within our business and from our supply chains, including sub-contractors and partners.
As part of the company’s due diligence relating to slavery and human trafficking, the supplier approval process will incorporate a review of the controls undertaken by the supplier.
Imported goods from sources outside of the UK and the EU and sub-contractors using migrant workers are potentially at higher risk from issues relating to slavery and human trafficking. The level of management control relating to these areas will be appropriate and monitored.
Progroup Construction will not support or deal with any business knowingly involved with slavery or human trafficking.
This policy is supported by our Ethics Policy and Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy.
Due Diligence
Progroup Construction has effective recruitment procedures in place systems to check that all employees have a ‘right to work’ in the UK and that we are fully compliant with the legislative requirement relating to this. These procedures safeguard against staff being forced to work against their will or being trafficked and the use of child labour.
Our Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking policy statement is supplied to all new starters within the business and is available to all staff and interested parties on our website.
We also have a ‘whistleblowing’ policy which empowers all staff to report any concerns which may relate to slavery or human trafficking including:
Failure to comply with a legal obligation or Statutes
Criminal activity
Improper conduct or unethical behaviour
Attempts to conceal any of the above
Over the last year, we have incorporated the requirement of the Modern Slavery Act into our selection process for suppliers, especially in higher risk areas.
We have audited and appointed a preferred supplier for our personal protective equipment who are fully engaged with ethical working practices and the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act including having independent parties carrying out third-party audits in their own supply chain to ensure that staff are not being forced to work against their will and that child labour is not being used.
We have also entered into service level agreements with plant and tool and plant hire firms who also have adequate provisions in place to comply with the requirements of the Act which are included within the contractual agreement.
In addition to raising awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking issues through the distribution of our policy, we have also become members of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply which has provided access to specific information and best practice to improve on and maintain our knowledge in this area.
Effectiveness of the Measures in Place
We are confident that we have identified the high-risk areas within our business and that the steps that we have taken to date have been adequate. We intend that the requirements of the Act will be further embedded in our procurement arrangements over the coming year. In doing this we will be raising awareness of the issue with companies who may not be directly regulated by the Act.
To date, we have had no reports from employees, the public or agencies to indicate that any modern slavery practices have been identified or have occurred within the business or our supply chain.
Contact Information:
Business Name: UK Construction Waste Co trading as Progroup Construction
Address: Head Office: 2 Falcon Gate Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1TW
Phone: 0203 488 2102