Taiwan: Investigation reveals migrant workers from SE Asia manufacturing auto parts for Japanese automakers reportedly at risk of forced labour
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Mar 2024
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Toyota - Buyer , Kuozui Motors - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Vietnam , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Access to Non-Judicial Remedy , Freedom of ExpressionResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Toyota said that it is now working on the Kuozui Motors case and that " suppliers should not exploit employees with high recruitment fees and other costs that are considered unreasonable by international norms.” Kuozui Motors refused to disclose any information about its recruitment process. In April, Toyota said, "We have confirmed that there are no unreasonable fees being imposed on migrant workers at Kuozui Motors, in alignment with local laws and societal norms."
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Jun 2024
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Honda - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Recruitment FeesResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Honda declined to disclose the nationalities of its current employees or its recruitment practice in Taiwan.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Jun 2024
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Canon - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Recruitment FeesResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The company's migrant employees were reimbursed for recruitment fees in December 2022, and former employees were reimbursed in March 2023, said Canon, but declined to disclose the reimbursement amount.
Source type: News outlet
"台湾の日系自動車向け部品会社で強制労働の疑惑," 4 March 2024
[Unofficial description by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]
In the process of Japanese automakers' local subsidiaries and partners employ migrant workers, workers are owing large sums of money to brokers and others in their home countries. Workers who took on high debt to get a job could feel forced to put up with unfavorable working conditions as they are tied to their jobs by debt.
Toyota is currently investigating the working conditions for migrant workers at Lioho Machine Works (LMW) which produce auto parts for Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Honda, and Nissan. This article includes comments from Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Ford, and GM. Nissan refused to comment.