Senators Question Universal Electronics' Hiring of Uyghurs
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Congressional-Executive Commission on China Co-Chairman Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and ranking member Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., asked the CEO of Universal Electronics to explain who authorized the hiring of transferred Uyghur laborers at its Chinese factories, what the daily reports to the police about those Uyghurs say, and what documentation the company has to back up its assertion that none of its Chinese factories use forced labor.
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"We understand that the Uyghurs employed in your Qinzhou facility live in segregated dormitories, are continuously surveilled by police, and are made to participate in government 'education activities.' Reuters also reported that in at least one case, Chinese officials paid to transport workers from Xinjiang to the Qinzhou facility, where they produce goods for export to the United States and elsewhere," the senators wrote in a letter dated Oct. 19.
"We believe these conditions bear obvious signs of forced labor. We are especially troubled that Universal Electronics appears to have done little to investigate or remedy the situation. According to Reuters, your spokesperson confirmed that Universal Electronics 'does not conduct independent due diligence on where and how its workers are trained in Xinjiang' and 'does not know how the workers are trained in Xinjiang or who pays for their transport.' In other words, Universal Electronics is choosing to turn a blind eye. If true, this is a serious failure in your firm’s ethical and fiduciary responsibilities -- and, potentially, your duties under U.S. law."
The senators also asked what kind of audits its Chinese factories have for forced labor, or what certifications that its labor agents provide on forced labor. They asked for responses by Nov. 5. A CBP spokesman said: "Congress often asks CBP leadership and management to testify about the agency’s operations and activities related to border security, trade, and travel. We defer our comment when our leadership provides our official answer to Congress."
A spokesperson for Universal Electronics said, "We look forward to working with Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Rubio, and Senator Merkley on the questions they raised in the letter. "UEI made the decision last week to end its relationship with the staffing agency that hired these workers based on feedback on how to best secure its supply chain and in light of ongoing regulatory and legislative changes globally."