Delta Honored for Its Anti-Trafficking Initiatives

After training flight attendants to recognize signs of human trafficking, American carrier Delta Air Lines was named a major winner of the Stop Slavery Award on Thursday. Other major winners included British retail bank HSBC UK, supermarket Aldi UK and Australian jeans maker Outland Denim.

Increased concern over human trafficking has led to businesses of all kinds to divulge what actions they take in order to ensure their supply chains are free from slave labor. The awards are designed to recognize companies for their efforts and encourage more businesses to join the fight against trafficking.

Delta won in the campaign category of the global anti-slavery award. The airline was also praised for its apprenticeship program, which teaches survivors professional skills and offers them jobs.

“Our work is motivated by each survivor story we hear and the 90,000 passionate Delta employees who make hope for freedom possible,” said Allison Ausband, senior vice president of in-flight service and head of Delta’s anti-trafficking committee.

Winners are determined through independent specialists who evaluate the company submissions on the strength of anti-trafficking policies already in place, as well as their ability to identify and respond to problems.

According to the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO), an estimated 25 million people globally are trapped in forced labor. Forced labor is commonly found in factories, farms and fishing boats.