MIGRANT workers’ rights specialist Andy Hall lauded the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for taking action against Brightway Group on allegations of systematic forced labour practises being used by the glove manufacturer.
‘I welcome today’s decision by the US CBP to ban the import of Brightway’s products into the US and hope this trade enforcement action against the company will lead to a swift change in the poor living and work conditions faced by the company’s workers in Malaysia.
“With that said, I encourage US CBP and other law enforcement authorities around the world, including Canada’s CBSA/EDSC, the UK government, the European Union (EU) and also the Australian government to urgently follow the innovative and impactful approach of the US CBP.
“Many other companies like Brightway in Malaysia and around the world continue to subject foreign workers to systemic forced labour. These companies, including those in the gloves, palm oil, garment, furniture, electronics and electrical sectors, continue to profit from systemic forced labour with little to no Government oversight,” he said, in a statement.
Earlier today, the Reuters reported that the US CBP had issued a withhold release order (WRO) on imports from Brightway over suspected forced labour practices.
It is the sixth ban in 18 months on a Malaysian company, and the fifth from the country’s glove manufacturing sector since September 2019.
The WRO involves detention of disposable gloves produced in Malaysia by three companies in the group – Brightway Holdings, Laglove and Biopro – from Monday onwards.
Touching on the matter, Hall said he had filed a formal complaint against Brightway on Jan 28 to the US CBP, alleging the manufacturer was engaging in forced labour practices in its operations.
International pressure a must
He claimed that migrant workers have reported to him of their squalid living conditions, payment of high recruitment fees and having their passports confiscated from them.
“The also reported to me on numerous salary deductions, physical and mental abuse of whistleblowers and workers taking part in industrial action, restrictions on freedom of movement and more.
“Many of the abuses workers have reported to my team are internationally accepted indicators of forced labour. In October, one of my whistleblowers in Brightway had to flee the factory and return to Bangladesh in fear of his safety,” Hall claimed.
The veteran rights advocate added that he had engaged the Malaysian authorities on the matter but received poor response, despite the Human Resources Minister himself denouncing the living condition of the migrant workers during a visit to the factory in December last year.
Despite positive developments, Hall noted that Malaysia’s management of migrant workers, a crucial part of its economy and labour-intensive export production, continues to be undeveloped, with systemic corruption and little respect for the rule of law.
“The few laws that exist in Malaysia intended to protect migrant workers remain ineffective. Victim support, prevention, punishment and rehabilitation concerning modern slavery are almost non-existent in a country that remains a significant supplier of goods across the world.
‘The international governments, investors and buyers should take action to ensure that the Malaysian Government and its private sector start to take systemic forced labour issues more seriously.” Hall remarked. – Dec 21, 2021.
(Photo credit: AsiaOne)
