Modern Slavery is a problem that is growing and one that we at World Travel Centre Group are committed to addressing. The rise in globalisation has brought with it a rise in exploitation including people trafficking, forced labour debt bondage and child marriage. The International Labour Organisation estimates that approximately 21 million people are in forced labour globally. At World Travel Centre Group we endeavour to ensure there are no Modern Slavery risks within our own business or our supply chains.
World Travel Centre Group was founded in 1972 and has grown to be one of the UK and Ireland’s largest travel companies. We operate in two locations;
World Travel Centre group operates three unique industry functions: Corporate, Consolidation, and Retail. Our corporate function operates under the World Travel Centre Group brand. Our purpose is to deliver an exceptional personalised experience for our clients through our team of experts.
At World Travel Centre Group our model is based on supplying business travel management for industry sectors including Government departments, higher education sector, SME’s and the NGO sector. Service is at the core of what we do best & we will only work with likeminded suppliers. Our partnerships are founded on values and ethos that align with our own.
Our Values include:
Our commitment to preventing modern slavery is integrated into our staff and supplier codes of conduct and is addressed in policies such as;
We require our staff and suppliers to act in a way that reflects our values and ethics both inside and outside the workplace.
World Travel Centre Group strives to create a caring and safe environment where staff can flourish. We do not tolerate discrimination, abuse or harassment of any kind and we expect the same of our suppliers. In 2015 we were accredited with the Investors in People award following significant investment into our people and their development. Our employee charter sets our commitment to our people and in turn what we expect from them.
All staff must adhere to our codes of conduct and company policies.
Our staff have been fully trained in procedures that support the Modern Slavery Act and are expected to work in line with this policy. We have facilitated awareness training for staff annually which outline the channels through which Modern Slavery can manifest and the procedures required should a concern arise. We operate an open-door communication policy, and we also provide a protected disclosure facility should a staff member require confidentiality.
We will not work with a supplier before carrying out thorough research into their business procedures and we ensure they are appropriately licensed to carry out the service they are providing. New suppliers must complete our mandatory questionnaires to ensure they adhere with our Code of Conduct and comply with the Modern Slavery legislation. We carryout bi-annual risk assessments across our business which includes supplier audits. In line with our commitment to the Modern Slavery Act we have added a clause to our risk assessment that specifically addresses this issue within our supply chain.
We only work with reputable suppliers, most of whom we have partnered with for many years, and we take responsibility for ensuring our supply chains are clean of slave labour. This is done through our ISO Quality Management System; we have formal Service Level Agreements with all suppliers, and we carry out frequent supplier audits.
We require our entire Supply Chain to share our values and policies on human rights. We also expect them to operate to the highest standards in managing their own supply chains. On reviewing our Supply Cain, we have had no reports or breaches in any modern slavery offences, nor have we taken any action against any Supplier for any failings.
We are committed to ensure all new Suppliers complete a Modern Slavery Questionnaire prior to being introduced within our Supply Chain.
The World Travel Centre Group maintains a commitment to preventing Modern Slavery and will continue to operate a zero-tolerance policy in this regard. In accordance with section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 this statement has detailed the actions taken during the previous financial year. This statement will be reviewed annually, and its effectiveness will be measured in line with KPIs.
We will continue to review, develop and promote our policies and practices to identify and mitigate risk areas for modern slavery and human rights abuse in our business and supply chains as part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.
