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© Reuters. File photo: On July 25, 2017, there is a logo above the Goodyear tire factory in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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By Mei Mei Chu
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters)-The organization told Reuters that the rights group Liberty Shared has asked the U.S. customs authorities to investigate the operations of the U.S. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Malaysia, accusing it of abusive labor practices.
The Hong Kong-based anti-trafficking organization said that based on migrant workers’ lawsuits and police reports, its petition to the US Customs in June may be the first such effort against a subsidiary of a US-owned company in Southeast Asia.
“The conditions and treatment they endured seem to be in line with the International Labor Organization (ILO) forced labor indicators,” said Duncan Jepsen, the organization’s managing director, in his first comment to the media on the issue.
The International Labor Organization said it was concerned about Goodyear Malaysia’s allegations but could not confirm these allegations because of its role at the policy and departmental level.
Goodyear, one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world, said it did not know of any petitions on this matter.
Malaysia, which employs millions of foreign workers, faces increasing allegations of labor exploitation, and this month ranked the worst in the United States’ annual report on human trafficking.
Similar petitions filed with US Customs, including a petition filed by Liberty Shared against Malaysian palm oil producer Sime Darby Plantation last year, led the United States to block imports due to alleged use of forced labor.
According to a Reuters report in May, after dozens of foreign workers were sued for unpaid wages and illegal overtime, an industrial court required Goodyear’s Malaysian branch to pay migrant workers and abide by collective agreements.
It has challenged two decisions of the High Court.
In response to comments from human rights organizations, Goodyear added that it has strong policies to protect human rights.
A spokesperson said in an email: “We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and are committed to ensuring that our business practices and our employees, operations, and supply chain comply with all applicable legal requirements and our policies. Require.”
In the past, the company declined to comment on the workers’ allegations on the grounds of court proceedings.
Permodalan Nasional Berhad, Malaysia’s largest fund manager, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company owns 49% of Goodyear Malaysia.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it would not comment on whether it is investigating specific entities.
Jepsen said he knew that US Customs was tracking his petition. In an email, CBP told him that it had received a petition regarding forced labor conditions and was reviewing the information. Reuters reviewed the email.
The July 19 email did not mention Goodyear Malaysia, but Jepson stated that based on the civil case and police report submitted by its workers, the petition is only related to the company.
Last year, after Liberty Shared accused Sime Darby of forced labor and child labor, CBP prevented its products from entering the United States.
Sime Darby has appointed auditors to evaluate its practices and said it will work with CBP to resolve these issues.
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