Daikin, Panasonic and Sony Respond to Forced Labor Violations by Supplier
Daikin, Panasonic and Sony have confirmed forced labor allegations at their Malaysian plastics supplier Kawaguchi Manufacturing.
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In responses to the Business and Human Rights Resource Center, Daikin, Panasonic and Sony confirmed that the allegations were correct and pledged to work with NGOs to remedy the situation. Additionally, Panasonic and Sony confirmed that they were cutting ties with the manufacturer, while Daikin “determined that suspension of its transactions with Kawaguchi may be unavoidable.”
The forced labor initially came to light in an Aug. 31 blog post by migrant rights activist Andy Hall alleging that workers faced wage theft, intimidation and passport theft while working at Kawaguchi. Other allegations included recruitment fee charging, denial of leave, unsuitable living conditions and failure to renew visas.
These behaviors fall under the International Labor Organization’s 11 indicators of forced labor.
CBP didn't immediately comment. The agency issued a withhold release order this week after finding Kingtom Aluminio used forced labor to manufacture its aluminum extrusions (see 2412030006).
In the companies’ initial responses in September, Daikin, Panasonic and Sony all promised to investigate the allegations and claimed to respect human rights.