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Malaysia to take action against world's top glovemaker after labour rights expose

by Beh Lih Yi | @BehLihYi | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Monday, 10 December 2018 11:47 GMT

By Beh Lih Yi

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Malaysia said on Monday it would take action against Top Glove Corp. Bhd , the world's largest glovemaker, for breaching labour laws after a Thomson Reuters Foundation expose found some migrants working illegal overtime to pay off debts.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation revealed on Thursday that migrant workers at the Malaysian company often work long hours to earn overtime pay to clear debts to recruitment agents back home - and in some cases exceed the legal overtime limit.

Speaking at a press conference in Malaysia, Top Glove's executive chairman and founder Lim Wee Chai said "a small number" of workers had done excessive overtime, and that the company would "continue to improve" its labour standards.

Malaysia's Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said "action will be taken" against Top Glove for the breach of labour laws on overtime hours.

"(The company) themselves admitted so we will take the necessary action," he told reporters.

Malaysia's labour ministry said Top Glove could face a fine of up to 10,000 Malaysian ringgit ($2,400) if found guilty of breaching laws on excessive overtime. ($1 = 4.1640 ringgit)

(Reporting by Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Emma Batha. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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