IN a move to improve its workers’ welfare, Top Glove Corporation Bhd (Top Glove) announced that it has resolved all 11 International Labour Organization (ILO) indicators of forced labour.
“And the matter has been verified by an independent international UK consultant, Impactt Limited (Impactt), in its report dated April 22,” it said in a statement.
Last month, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) started seizing the company’s glove products after it was found engaging in forced labour practices.
“We have sufficient information to believe that Top Glove uses forced labour in the production of disposable gloves. Merchandise covered by the forced labour finding is subject to seizure upon arrival at a US port of entry.
“The finding is the result of a months-long CBP investigation aimed at preventing goods made by modern slavery from entering US commerce,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the CBP Commissioner Troy Miller.
Since then, Top Glove has been actively engaging the CBP to iron out the issues at hand, with its executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Wee Chai himself chairing meetings on improving his employees’ welfare.
On that note, Top Glove said that since July last year, the company has engaged Impactt to advise on measures for improving its labour policies and practices.
It added that as of March, Top Glove had five ILO indicators of forced labour that were in the pale-yellow category, which indicates “further progress made” and is one step away from the green category, which indicates full resolution of the forced labour indicators.
“While the company is pleased to have resolved all the ILO indicators of forced labour, we assure our stakeholders of our continued efforts to improve the welfare of our employees.
“And we remain committed to be the best company that we can become, ensuring high quality welfare, health, safety, working conditions and living accommodation of our 21,000 strong workforce,” it remarked. – April 26, 2021.
