Context: Brazil’s “dirty list” is under scrutiny as major firms have been found to have used legal means to avoid being put on it.

What is the “dirty list”?

It is a registry of employers that have been found by the government to have engaged in slave labour. It gives transparency to a decision already reached by the Brazilian state. Created in 2004, it has been hailed by the United Nations as a key tool in Brazil’s anti-slavery drive.

The list is edited by the Division of Inspection for the Eradication of Slave Labor (DETRAE), a state body staffed by labour inspectors.

How does a company get added to it?

If a labour inspector fines someone for employing slave labour, it starts an internal government procedure where the employer can defend himself.

After all possibility of appeal is exhausted, if the employer is found guilty, his name or the name of his firm is added to the list.

Why is the “dirty list” feared by employers?

Beyond having their brand or names associated with slave labour, employers on the list have their access to credit lines by state banks restricted.

Private banks also use it to gauge credit risk. International buyers concerned with their supply chain also look up names on the list.