SCOTLAND’S history with the slave trade which was shown in the BBC programme Slavery: Scotland’s Hidden Shame is a timely reminder that the problem of modern slavery is very much with us.

That’s the view expressed by Shan Saba, a director at Brightwork, the leading recruitment agency which is part of the Scotland Against Modern Slavery (SAMS) movement which also includes the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, the Gang Masters and Labour Abuse Authority and Harper McLeod Solicitors.

Shaba said: “Although we must all learn from these horrors of the past the important thing is to appreciate that there are right now, right here, human beings being owned and exploited by other humans. This is the modern slavery that every citizen of Scotland must play a part in eradicating.

“Modern slavery is on the increase in Scotland: 207 victims, men, woman and children, were rescued by the authorities last year. This was up by 38% on the year before.

“This human tragedy is not going to go away. Migrant Help, the charity that assists and rehabilitates victims in Scotland has referred five individuals to my colleagues on the team at Brightwork, the Scotland-wide recruitment business in the last month alone. Our commitment is to help them find work to allow them to rebuild their lives in Scotland.

“Exploitation, being held and forced to work for little or no financial return whilst being controlled by another person or gang, has been on a sharp increase in Scotland. Business leaders, managers, supervisors and colleagues all have a part to play in identifying victims.

“Staying silent or doing nothing is simply not good enough. “