Which rights are at greatest risk?
We are committed to ongoing and continual improvement, in training and in capacity building, as a fundamental part of our commitment to ETI membership.
With 3 suppliers located in Malaysia, we are aware of the challenges present in the country, particularly relating to migrant workers. According to recent estimates quoted by the ILO in its Malaysia Decent Work Country Programme report, Malaysia is host to at least 3.85 million foreign workers, including both documented and undocumented workers, who represent one quarter of the country’s total labour force. As a result of its rapidly expanding economy, increasing urbanization, and relatively low labour force participation among women, Malaysia continues to experience a demand for migrant labour.
A Visit Pass (temporary employment) in Malaysia is issued to semi-skilled or unskilled workers for certain approved sectors. There are two categories of Visit Passes which the Malaysian government issues to foreign workers, in this case for manufacturing, construction, plantation, agriculture and services. However one of the conditions of this pass is that workers cannot change employers or the employment sector, even in cases of redundancy or closure of employer. Unofficial estimates of undocumented migrant workers range to over one million. This is one reason why in November 2020 the Malaysia government launched a recalibration program to regularise undocumented migrants as foreign workers who could be (re-)employed by eligible employers. Up to 31 December 2022, the program saw more than 410,000 undocumented migrants signed up to be regularised as legal foreign workers and has been extended to the end of 2023. UGHC was part of this program.
Access to remedy
We have for some time now provided an independent third party operated whistle blowing service. While initially launched for the group’s European operations, it was expanded to include all the languages spoken at its manufacturing plants in Malaysia. Today it is available in English, German, Malay, Nepali, Hindi, Bengali and Burmese and also linked through our website. Employees at the factories were trained in its use and operation during 2022 and 2023, which allows reporting to be done on a completely confidential basis, through logins and passwords supplied only to the individual who raised the case. It works on both PCs and smartphones. The system offers both parties the option to conduct and maintain dialogue throughout the process. The whistleblowing service can be used to alert us about serious risks of wrongdoing affecting people, our organisation, society, or the environment, however it has provided an unexpected benefit. Our colleagues clearly bought into the system and it has turned out to also be a grievance raising system, while not its intended purpose, if it gives a voice to our people and allows the group to address these issues, then the system is working and all parties benefit. The URL and QR codes are detailed in the employee handbooks, which are available in English, Malay, Nepali, Hindi, Bengali and Burmese, as well on posters around the factories and on lockers.
