Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 14): The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) said it appreciates the “strategic and focused coordination and collaboration” among relevant parties to address the issue of forced labour and child labour raised by the US Department of Labour. 

The association said it has taken heed of the inclusion of rubber gloves in the 2020 List of Goods Produced by Child Labour or Forced Labour report issued by the department’s Bureau of International Labour Affairs. 

However, the public and global community must not misread the report, which is retrospective and not punitive in nature, said newly installed MARGMA president Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam.  

“In addition, the report also does not take into account of the latest developments, on social compliance, including the remediation to the foreign workers in recent months,” Supramaniam said in a statement today. 

He noted that several major rubber glove manufacturers have since June 2020 committed more than RM250 million to remediate foreign workers for the recruitment fees previously paid by the workers to agents in their home countries, without the knowledge of their respective employers in Malaysia.  

Supramaniam said MARGMA has taken pro-active steps since 2018 to review recruitment agencies and the welfare and treatment of foreign workers.  

He added: “Other than working with the Ministry of Human Resources and Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia to carry out various improvements, MARGMA has also engaged with the US government through meetings with the US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, US Government Accountability Office and the US Customs and Border Protection to work on the progressive development and continuous improvement of the welfare of foreign workers in the rubber glove industry.  

“Meanwhile, in order to be [in] full compliance and avoid getting involved in forced labour practices, MARGMA members have reported that they are practising immediate repatriation if any foreign worker pose debt-bondage risk or for being dishonest in claiming no debt-bondage during their entrance interviews.  

“The services of the recruitment agent responsible for their hiring will also be terminated in tandem. Moving forward on recruitment fees, the industry has committed to zero cost policy since November 2019.” 

Supramaniam stressed that Malaysian rubber glove manufacturers have adhered to good manufacturing and employment practice and undergo four levels of audits (internal audits, customer-driven audits, third-party audits and government audits) on their facilities and workers. 

“The manufacturers must surely have passed all the required standards and regulations as required in the welfare of all workers in order to continue to operate. Notwithstanding the above, all manufacturers are in various stages of the journey for SEDEX-SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) audit programmes,” he said. 

Meanwhile, MARGMA expects the shortage of rubber gloves to prolong into the first quarter of 2022 due to the shortage of both factory workers and latex supply in recent months.  

The association has revised its export revenue projection from RM21.8 billion to RM29.8 billion for 2020 based on the performance in 1H20.  

The 2H20 export revenue is expected to touch RM18 billion, with the 2021 full-year estimate at RM33.8 billion. 

Edited ByS Kanagaraju
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