The Chinese tyre factory Linglong, built in Zrenjanin, a city in northern Serbia, officially opens on Friday, September 13, despite at least one of its three production facilities having been operational for more than a year – producing and exporting tyres.

The five-year construction of this factory was accompanied by accusations related to poor working conditions for employees during its construction, suspicions of forced labour, and complaints about violations of construction laws, and environmental protection regulations.

Official responses from the company regarding these accusations have been rare [...]

Uninvestigated Allegations of Forced Labour

[...] Earlier this year, the NGO Astra filed a criminal complaint on behalf of 11 workers from India, alleging human trafficking and labour exploitation.

A few years earlier, there were also suspicions of the exploitation of hundreds of Vietnamese workers who were engaged in the construction of the factory in Zrenjanin at that time.

In a 2021 resolution, the European Parliament called on Serbia to investigate this case of “modern slavery.” However, it was concluded without any legal proceedings, with the workers being returned to Vietnam.

Linglong denied responsibility, claiming that the workers had been hired by one of their subcontractors.

“The Serbian government has not fully investigated credible allegations of forced labour, including the confiscation of passports and inhumane working and living conditions, and has continued to assert that the Vietnamese and Indian workers are not victims of human trafficking,” states the latest U.S. Department of State report on human trafficking.