When most people think about uniforms, they think about quality, fit, comfort and durability.
What they don't often see is the global network of people, suppliers, manufacturers and logistics partners that work together to bring those uniforms to life.
For companies like Deane, understanding that supply chain isn't just good business practice. It's a responsibility.
Looking Beyond the Finished Garment
The global apparel and textile industry employs more than 90 million people worldwide and spans thousands of interconnected businesses, from raw material producers through to fabric mills, garment manufacturers and distribution partners.
While these complex supply chains create opportunities and livelihoods for millions of people, they can also create risks.
One of the most significant is modern slavery.
Modern slavery is an umbrella term used to describe serious forms of labour exploitation, including forced labour, debt bondage, human trafficking and situations where people are unable to leave work due to coercion, threats or abuse. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), an estimated 50 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, including 28 million people in forced labour.
Importantly, this isn't a problem confined to a handful of countries or industries. The ILO estimates that 86% of forced labour occurs within the private economy, meaning businesses everywhere have a role to play in understanding and addressing these risks.
The Challenge of Visibility
One of the reasons modern slavery can persist is because supply chains are often complex.
A single garment may involve cotton grown in one country, yarn produced in another, fabric woven somewhere else, and final manufacturing completed elsewhere again. As products move through multiple stages and multiple suppliers, visibility can become increasingly difficult.
This is why transparency matters.
You can't manage risks you can't see.
For businesses, greater transparency helps answer important questions:
- Where are our products coming from?
- Who is involved in making them?
- What risks exist within our supply chain?
- What actions are we taking to address those risks?
The better the visibility, the better the decisions.
Why Deane Publishes a Modern Slavery Position Statement
While businesses in both New Zealand and Australia are increasingly expected to understand and manage modern slavery risks within their supply chains, Deane is not currently legally required to publish a Modern Slavery Statement. We have chosen to do so for the second year running because we believe transparency matters.
For us, publishing a statement is about accountability and continuous improvement.
It provides an opportunity to openly share:
- The work we're doing today
- The progress we've made
- The challenges we're continuing to work through
- The priorities we're focusing on next
It also helps our customers, suppliers, and stakeholders understand the practical steps we're taking to strengthen visibility and reduce risk across our supply chain.
We're not claiming to have all the answers. Responsible supply chain management is an ongoing journey, and one that requires continuous learning, collaboration, and action.
READ OUR MODERN SLAVERY POSITION STATEMENT Turning Commitment into Action
Over the past year, Deane has continued to strengthen the way we identify, assess and manage supply chain risks.
This has included:
- Increasing visibility of our extended supplier network
- Establishing clear governance and reporting structures
- Formalising remediation processes for potential modern slavery risks
- Continuing supplier due diligence and risk assessments
- Building internal awareness and capability across our teams
- Implementing the LRQA EiQ supply chain intelligence platform
The introduction of the LRQA EiQ platform has been an important step forward, providing enhanced visibility and data-driven insights into potential risks across our supply chain. Rather than relying on assumptions, the platform enables us to take a more informed and proactive approach to risk management.
Combined with stronger governance and clearer processes, this helps ensure modern slavery considerations are embedded into business decision-making rather than treated as a standalone sustainability initiative.
Why This Matters to Our Customers
Our customers trust us to deliver quality uniforms, but increasingly they also want confidence in how those garments are sourced and made.
Transparency helps build that confidence. /p>
By investing in stronger governance, better visibility and more robust risk management processes, we're helping ensure ethical sourcing considerations are embedded into the way we do business, not treated as an afterthought.
Ultimately, this is about trust. Knowing where products come from, understanding potential risks, and being open about the steps being taken to manage them helps create stronger partnerships and better outcomes for everyone involved.
We believe businesses have a responsibility to understand the supply chains behind the products they sell. While the challenges are complex, greater transparency gives us the opportunity to make better decisions, build stronger partnerships and continue driving meaningful progress over time.