The bicycle industry’s dirty secret
الملخص
Date Reported: 13 فبراير 2025
الموقع: تايوان
الشركات
Merida & Centurion Germany - Employer , Specialized - Buyerالفئة المتأثرة
Total individuals affected: 200
عمال مهاجرون: ( Number unknown - تايلند , التصنيع: عامة , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )القضايا
رسوم التوظيف , احتجاز وثائق الهوية و السفر و العمل , الترهيب والتهديد , الإحتجاز التعسفيالرد
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
الإجراءات المتخذة: The World Bicycle Industry Alliance, which several bicycle brands including Specialized, Scott, Trek, Canyon and Giant are part of, said it is committed to reevaluate the topic of recruitment fee charging to explore clarifications or improvements needed in its code of conduct. The reporting says: "Merida’s president said in 2024 on its website that ‘Merida has yet to adopt the Responsible Business Alliance Code of Conduct [that includes practising no-fee recruitment and reimbursing employees who paid fees] and relevant human rights policies, hence [it] has not implemented the Human Rights Due Diligence.’"
نوع المصدر: News outlet
الملخص
Date Reported: 13 فبراير 2025
الموقع: تايوان
الشركات
Fritz Jou - Employer , Bianchi - Buyer , Canyon - Buyer , Pinarello - Buyerالفئة المتأثرة
Total individuals affected: 500
عمال مهاجرون: ( Number unknown - الفيلبين , التصنيع: عامة , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )القضايا
رسوم التوظيفالرد
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
الإجراءات المتخذة: Comments from Pinarello, Canyon, & Bianchi are included in the reporting. Further, the World Bicycle Industry Alliance, which several bicycle brands including Canyon are part of, said it is committed to reevaluate the topic of recruitment fee charging to explore clarifications or improvements needed in its code of conduct.
نوع المصدر: News outlet
الملخص
Date Reported: 13 فبراير 2025
الموقع: تايوان
الشركات
Amaury Sport Organisation - Other Value Chain Entity , Unipublic (part of Amaury Sport Organisation) - Other Value Chain Entity , Maxxis International - Employerالفئة المتأثرة
Total individuals affected: 728
عمال مهاجرون: ( 728 - فيتنام , التصنيع: عامة , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )القضايا
رسوم التوظيفالرد
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
الإجراءات المتخذة: Amaury Group refused to say if it has concerns about forced labour risks regarding sponsors or teams.
نوع المصدر: News outlet
الملخص
Date Reported: 13 فبراير 2025
الموقع: تايوان
الشركات
Cycleurope (part of Grimaldi Industri Group) - Buyerالفئة المتأثرة
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
عمال مهاجرون: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , التصنيع: عامة , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )القضايا
Work & Conditionsالرد
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
الإجراءات المتخذة: The company says it does not accept workers paying for job, but did not commit to ensuring workers would have fees reimbursed.
نوع المصدر: News outlet
الملخص
Date Reported: 13 فبراير 2025
الموقع: تايوان
الشركات
Kenstone Metal - Employer , Cannondale Bikes - Buyer , Cervélo - Buyerالفئة المتأثرة
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
عمال مهاجرون: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , التصنيع: عامة , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )القضايا
Work & Conditionsالرد
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
نوع المصدر: News outlet
…for the workers who make our bikes in Taiwanese factories, conditions are often dirty, dangerous and demeaning… Bianchi, Canyon, Centurion, Giant, Merida, Pinarello, REI, Scott, Specialized and Trek … have had bikes or components made in Taiwan…
… Maxxis, has factories here too…
…Specialized and Centurion buy from Merida; Giant supplies Trek, Scott, and until recently REI; Bianchi, Canyon and Pinarello source from Fritz Jou among others; Cannondale and Cervélo from Kenstone Metal. Cycleurope – behind brands like Crescent, Kildemoes, Monark and Puch – also sources from Taiwanese firms…
...Giant will implement a no-fee recruitment policy this year…
No other Taiwanese manufacturers replied to our requests for comment…
…Merida is a majority owner of … Centurion … and minority owner of … Specialized…
…Specialized and Trek were silent for months…Scott…told us that ‘…we are pleased to confirm that Giant has taken an important step…
…Pinarello stated, ‘…we were not aware of this alleged practice, so we started to look into this after you wrote to us.’…Canyon…stated that future recruits … will not have to pay such fees. Bianchi, Canyon, Pinarello and Cycleurope all explicitly said that they do not tolerate workers paying for jobs …
… Chunghwa Post holds Giant shares…
…Continental is a main sponsor of the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia…The Tour and the Vuelta are organised by French media conglomerate Amaury Group …The group…refused to say if it has concerns about forced labour …
[all named companies were approached for comment by the journalist]