[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: Hidden camera footage of a disguised check inside a Top Glove factory was screened in a Canadian television report that said it showed unsafe work and poor living conditions for employees, which could be described as ” frightening”.
CBC said its Marketplace program had smuggled a camera into the factory with the help of a Top Glove employee.
The images support the employee’s claims about unsafe working conditions and hot and cramped living conditions. In shelters, up to 25 people slept in a room, often on floors. They shared a bathroom that was used for everything from bathing to cleaning vegetables, the television station said.
It also showed that the production line, made up mainly of migrant workers, was overcrowded and did not meet Covid-19 prevention rules.
There were also videos of workers doing electrical repairs or handling chemicals without any safety equipment.
Shortly after the videos came to light, the glove company was forced to shut down its production following a Covid-19 outbreak that resulted in more than 6,000 cases, CBC said.
The report said a video provided to CBC showed workers huddled together for the test with little physical distancing. Dorm workers could be seen showering alongside heaps of garbage.
CBC also interviewed 23 current and former migrant workers who shared stories of alleged exploitation, such as debt bondage, deceptive hiring practices, passport retention, excessive overtime, abusive workplaces, and deplorable living conditions.
“The company doesn’t care (about its employees). If we complain to a higher authority, the company will be forced to take care of us, ”said an employee.
Some employees said they couldn’t leave their jobs despite the health risks. They say they have significant debt, often borrowed from unscrupulous lenders, having paid massive fees to recruitment agencies to line them up for their jobs.
“I have no other choice, I have to work (to pay my debt),” another Bangladeshi worker told the Marketplace program.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR LIVE UPDATE ON THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN MALAYSIA
