Labor abuse allegations in Goodyear’s Malaysian factory brings it on crosswires with labor department

USA based tire manufacturer Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co has landed in crosswires with Malaysian labor department. The American company has been accused of unpaid wages, illegal overtime and threat to foreign workers in its Malaysian factory. The same has been affirmed by Reuters through six current and former foreign workers along with Malaysian labor department officials.

In 2020, the labor department had fined Goodyear for overtime and underpay of foreign workers. One of the former foreign employee has reported that his passport was illegally seized by the company. He presented Reuters an acknowledgement signed by him in January 2020 after getting passport back post 8 years working in the company.

Related Posts

The allegations first had surfaced when 185 foreign employees at Goodyear’s Malaysian factory had filed three complains against the company in Malaysia’s industrial court. Two of these were filed in 2019 and one in 2020. The workers had accused company of not paying them their shift allowances, annual bonuses and pay increase, while they are given to local workers that are represented by labor union. The Malaysian court had ruled two of these decisions in favor of the foreign workers saying that they are rightful to receive same benefits as Malaysian workers. Goodyear was then ordered to pay the wages to workers and comply with the agreement. Some of these migrant workers had worked up to 229 hours a month in overtime. Malaysian limit for the same is 104 hours.

These workers, who hail from Nepal, India and Myanmar claim 5 million ringgit in unpaid wages, which is approximately $1.21 million. Their lawyer Chandra Segaran Rajendran called the act by Goodyear “discriminatory” and said. “They are put in a situation where they are being denied their full rights as what is provided for (by law).”

Goodyear Malaysia had argued last year that foreign workers are not entitled to the same rights as local workers as they are not a part of the unions.

Malaysia’s labor department had investigated and charged Goodyear in 2020 over nine violations of labor laws in the country that were not related to the lawsuits. It had fined Goodyear 41,500 ringgit ($10,050).

About Dr. Neha Mathur

Join Dr. Neha Mathur on a journey of compassion and expertise as she navigates the intricate landscape of human rights and workers' welfare.

Dr. Neha Mathur

Join Dr. Neha Mathur on a journey of compassion and expertise as she navigates the intricate landscape of human rights and workers' welfare.

Recent Posts

Deloitte Implements Layoffs Amid UK Market Challenges: Here’s Why

One of the Big Four accounting and consulting firms, Deloitte, has disclosed a 180 job decrease across its UK advising…

November 21, 2024

ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands have just issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…

November 21, 2024

Russia fires intercontinental ballistic missile in major escalation: Ukraine

The Russian military has reportedly fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during an attack on Ukraine in a major escalation.…

November 21, 2024

Spain Announces Ambitious Plan to Regularize Undocumented Migrants, Addressing Labor Shortages

Spain has recently presented new immigration policy plan, according to which about 300 thousand heads of illegal migrants are to…

November 21, 2024

1,500 Migrants Rush to US Border Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration

In an attempt to walk or find transportation to the U.S. border roughly 1,500 migrants assembled in a new caravan…

November 21, 2024

Hong Kong sentences 45 opposition activists under National Security Law

The special administrative region of Hong Kong has sentenced 45 opposition activists under China's National Security Law. The Human Rights…

November 20, 2024

This website uses cookies.

Read More