Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia's Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows
Voice of America
BANGKOK - The increased demand for rubber gloves amid the global coronavirus pandemic has worsened conditions for migrant workers in Malaysian factories that provide much of the world's supply of the protective wear, according to a new study by British researchers.
Drawing heavily on migrant workers from lower-income Asian countries, Malaysia churns out roughly two-thirds of the disposable rubber gloves sold worldwide, including to Britain's National Health Service. Factories have seen demand soar over the past year and a half, earning their owners record profits. Malaysia's glove factories have been plagued by reports of abusive working conditions for years, with grueling hours for minimum wage, cramped and dingy dorms and gruesome injuries. The research by the U.K.-based Modern Slavery & Human Rights Policy & Evidence Center, pulled from surveys with some 1,500 workers, says the pandemic has made conditions worse. Its findings were revealed in a report titled, "Forced Labour in the Malaysian Medical Gloves Supply Chain Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence, Scale and Solutions," on July 1.More Related News