GIANT glove maker, Top Glove Corporation Bhd (Top Glove) has dismissed allegations by a Canadian television report which depicted its migrant workers were working and living in deplorable condition.
“The report is thoroughly misleading and is damaging the company’s reputation for suggesting that we have breached local regulation,” the world’s largest glove maker said in a media statement.
Last Friday, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) alleged that several glove makers in Malaysia have put their migrant workers under debt bondage; forcing them to work overtime and stay under squalid conditions.
The programme, called Marketplace, was said to have been produced after months of conducting investigative journalism on the glove makers mentioned, including Top Glove.
On that note, Top Glove accused CBC of having downplayed and excluded the remedial actions taken to address the situation such as its zero-tolerance policy on forced labour and reforms on its regulations to further protect its employees’ rights.
On its reforms, Top Glove said it has implemented the Zero Cost Recruitment Policy since Janaury 2019 where migrant workers no longer pay any recruitment fee as the company would bear the costs.
In addition, Top Glove said it conducted rigorous interview process on its migrant workers to ensure the latter had not paid any hidden fees to recruitment agents.
“And if they did pay such fees, Top Glove reimburses the workers accordingly,” the company pointed out, adding that it had blacklisted two recruitment agencies for being unethical.
On the overtime issue, Top Glove said its migrant workers are only allowed to work for an extra 104 hours a month with a minimum one rest day a week as stipulated by Malaysian labour laws.
“It’s on voluntary basis and workers are only allowed to work overtime within permissible working hours limit. We also ensure they have their days off and their overtime work is recorded via digital tools to ensure compliance to local laws,” noted Top Glove.
With that, the company said it was disappointed that its reforms were not comprehensively published and represented by the CBC.
“Our factories in Meru, Klang has been re-opened after reinforcing stringent health and safety measures, on top of raising awareness of the adherence to COVID-19 protocols among our staff.
“And we stand firm against any form of violence, harassment or abuse of workers. Top Glove had also relocated about 2,000 workers to a new hostel accommodation in Klang itself.
“This new hostel is equipped with facilities for our workers including canteens, convenience shops, sports and recreational facilities, and a laundromat,” it added. – Jan 19, 2021.
