Goodyear’s Malaysia unit accused of labour abuse

Kuala Lumpur — Rights group Liberty Shared has asked US customs authorities to investigate the Malaysian operations of American tyre maker Goodyear Tire over accusations of abusive labour practices.

The Hong Kong-based anti-trafficking group said its June petition to US customs, based on lawsuits and police reports by migrant workers, was probably the first such effort against a subsidiary of an American-owned company in Southeast Asia.

“The conditions and treatment they have endured seem to satisfy the International Labour Organisation’s forced labour indicators,” said Duncan Jepson, the group’s MD.

Goodyear, one of the world’s largest tyre makers, said it was not aware of any petition on the matter, while the UN agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Malaysia, which employs millions of foreign workers, has faced an increasing number of accusations of exploitive labour practices, and received the worst ranking this month in an annual US report on human trafficking.

Similar petitions to US customs, including one last year by Liberty Shared regarding Malaysian palm oil producer Sime Darby Plantation, have led the US to block imports over suspected use of forced labour.

An industrial court ordered Goodyear’s Malaysian unit to pay back wages to migrant workers and comply with a collective pact, after dozens of foreign workers sued over unpaid wages and unlawful overtime, Reuters reported in May.

It has challenged the two verdicts in the High Court.

In its response to the rights group’s comments, Goodyear added that it had strong policies to protect human rights.

“We take seriously any allegations of improper behaviour and are committed to ensuring that our business practices and those of our associates, operations and supply chain adhere to all applicable legal requirements and the requirements in our policies,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

In the past, the company has declined to comment on the workers’ accusations, citing court process.

Permodalan Nasional, Malaysia’s largest fund manager which owns 49% of Goodyear Malaysia, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it does not comment on whether specific entities are being investigated.

Jepson said he understood US customs was pursuing the petition he filed. In an email, the CBP told him it had received the petition on forced labour conditions and was reviewing the information. Reuters reviewed the email.

The July 19 email does not name Goodyear Malaysia, but Jepson said the petition was only about the company, based on civil cases and police reports filed by its workers.

Reuters