This Modern Slavery Statement is made on behalf of Astus APAC Australia Pty Ltd (Astus). It outlines the steps taken to identify, assess and address risks of modern slavery within our operations and supply chains, in accordance with the requirements of the Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018.
Astus has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our supply chain.
Our Business
Astus is a media trading company which operates across the UK, Europe, MEA, and APAC regions. Our supply chain includes media vendors, professional services, IT providers, travel and hospitality.
Modern Slavery Risks
Astus recognises that, while the risk of modern slavery within our direct Australian operations is low, there are potential risks within the indirect supply chains such as labour-intensive industries, third-party service providers with limited transparency, and procurement of goods or services where subcontracting is common.
Assessing & Addressing Risk of Modern Slavery Practices
We operate a number of internal policies to ensure that we conduct business in an ethical and transparent manner. These include:
Anti-Slavery policy: This policy sets out the organisation’s stance on modern slavery and explains how employees can identify any instances of this and where they can go for help.
Recruitment Policy: We operate a robust recruitment policy, including conducting eligibility to work in the UK (or any other territory) checks for all employees to safeguard against human trafficking or individuals being forced to work against their will.
Whistleblowing Policy: We operate a whistleblowing policy so that all employees know that they can raise concerns about how colleagues are being treated, or practices within our business or supply chain, without fear of reprisals.
Code of Conduct: This code explains the manner in which we behave as an organisation and how we expect our employees and suppliers to act.
Supplier Due Diligence: We maintain a preferred supplier framework, including screening for any history of modern slavery-related offences. Suppliers must also confirm that they have taken steps to address modern slavery within their own operations, hold their supply chains accountable, and acknowledge that Astus reserves the right to terminate agreements where any instances of modern slavery are identified.
Training: We regularly conduct training for our procurement/buying teams so that they understand the signs of modern slavery and what to do if they suspect that it is taking place within our supply chain.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Our Actions
Effectiveness is currently assessed through:
Monitoring supplier compliance and responsiveness
Internal review of operational practices
Ongoing identification of high-risk areas
Consultation Process
This statement has been prepared in consultation with relevant internal stakeholders including finance, procurement, senior management and Board of Directors.
