LUMPUR, Malaysia has charged Dyson
supplier ATA IMS ATAI.KL with four violations of labour law on
accommodation for workers as it investigates complaints of
forced labour, authorities said on Saturday.
The step comes after British home appliance maker Dyson said
last month it was severing relations with ATA, and ending its
contract within six months, after an independent audit of the
company’s labour practices and accusations by a whistleblower.
“The complaints were mainly on allegations of appalling
working and living conditions and foreign workers being forced
to work excessive overtime hours,” Malaysia’s labour department
told Reuters in an email response.
“It is too early to make any conclusion on the allegations.”
The department, which inspected the company in February, May
and July, added that the four charges were for violations of
minimum standards for worker accommodation.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for
comment on the charges.
Reuters reported on Nov. 25 https://www.reuters.com/business/exclusive-dyson-terminates-relationship-with-malaysian-supplier-ata-over-labour-2021-11-25
and Dec. 5 https://www.reuters.com/business/dyson-splits-with-malaysia-supplier-stoking-concern-over-migrant-worker-2021-12-05
that ATA’s mostly migrant workforce did overtime in excess of
the monthly legal limit of 104 hours, and worked on Sundays
ATA, which makes parts for Dyson vacuum cleaners and air
purifiers, has said https://www.reuters.com/article/malaysia-labour-dyson-ata-ims-idUSL4N2SS2PM
all overtime was voluntary, and that it paid double for work on
Sundays and triple on public holidays.
The company has taken steps to ensure no recurrence, it
added, saying it had begun a policy of zero overtime on Sunday
that led to the resignations of nearly 300 workers in the first
week of December.
Police are also investigating https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/malaysia-police-look-into-claim-ata-whistleblower-beaten-by-police-2021-11-27
ATA over claims that a former worker was beaten by police after
being taken to a police station where he was questioned about
sharing information on working conditions with activists.
ATA has dismissed the accusations by the worker, Dhan Kumar
Limbu, as unsubstantiated and “unlikely to have taken place”.
Source: ASEAN Exchanges