A report presented to the UK Parliament has concluded that there is no evidence of widespread modern slavery in Leicester’s garment industry, contradicting earlier claims regarding the extent of worker exploitation in this sector. The review, titled “Lessons Learned from Operation Tacit,” was delivered by Labour Market Enforcement director Margaret Beels and identified several violations of employment law; however, it clarified that these infractions did not rise to the level of “prosecutable offences” concerning forced labor or modern slavery.
Operation Tacit was initiated to investigate the reports of modern slavery and labor exploitation in Leicester’s garment sector. The review encompassed events from the start of the initial pilot operation in 2020 through to the commencement of Operation Tacit in 2022, in addition to investigations by various enforcement agencies.
According to the report, “investigations by enforcement bodies with powers and expertise found no evidence of prosecutable offences.” The National Crime Agency (NCA) also supported these findings, stating that “it is highly likely the industry only contains a small number of modern slavery or human trafficking victims,” indicating that the incidence of serious abuse is minimal.
Beels cautioned that labeling broader workplace issues as “modern slavery” could be misleading. “Using the language of modern slavery could have had a negative impact on the industry… allegations risked the deployment of the wrong resources and gave workers a sense that their concerns were being downplayed,” she explained.
The review further established that garment factories in Leicester displayed lower rates of non-compliance with national minimum wage laws compared to other regions of UK manufacturing. The report confirmed that “the overall findings of Operation Tacit were that the degree of non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage in Leicester’s garment sector was lower than in other manufacturing.”
Although some poor practices, including underpayment and inadequate record-keeping, were recorded, these instances failed to meet the legal standards necessary for action under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The report has been well-received by industry leaders, who describe it as a long-awaited “myth buster” for the Leicester garment sector. Jenny Holloway, founder of Fashion-Enter and chair of the Apparel and Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF), noted that the findings support local businesses that suffered reputational damage due to sensationalized media coverage.
“The untold harm of inflammatory rhetoric in press and TV documentaries has resulted in retailers and brands leaving Leicester with concerns of reputational damage. Now the evidence is here for all to review. These are hardworking, skilled, ethical factories that have been penalized unnecessarily – they are owed an apology,” Holloway stated.
In light of the findings, the report recommends reinforcing local support structures, such as revitalizing the Leicester Labour Market Partnership and continuing support for organizations like the Leicester Fashion Technology Academy and Fashion Advice Bureau – Leicester (FAB-L).
Beels called for greater cooperation across sectors to develop a compliant manufacturing base. She said: “There are useful initiatives underway to support the growth of a compliant garment industry in Leicester, and these need to be encouraged.”
The report also recommended convening a summit led by the Garment and Textile Workers Trust to secure long-term funding for worker support initiatives.
Operation Tacit, characterized as the most extensive multi-agency investigation into workplace non-compliance ever conducted in the UK, involved over ten governmental and enforcement bodies, including HMRC, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), the Health and Safety Executive, and Leicester City Council.
The comprehensive review was published under Section 5(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 2016. In 2020, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) executed unannounced visits to garment factories throughout Leicester to assess compliance with labor regulations and the treatment of workers. These inspections were prompted by allegations of unsafe working conditions and exploitation that arose during Leicester’s localized Covid lockdown.
