"Tesco workers in Malaysia and Thailand abused, UK grocer says in modern slavery report", 16 May 2020

UK-based multinational groceries chain Tesco has found abuses against migrant workers at its stores and distribution centres in Malaysia and Thailand, it said in its annual modern slavery statement.

The company listed allegations based on interviews with 168 migrant workers in Malaysia and 187 in Thailand that included passport retention, unexplained and illegal wage reductions, heavy indebtedness to labour brokers and excessive overtime work.

In Malaysia, the passports of 68 Indonesian and 171 Nepali workers were withheld, while 15 passports and up to 30 work permits were withheld by a supplier in Thailand.

"All passports were returned to workers and new policies and procedures introduced for when passports are required for work permit renewal or other government purposes," it said in the undated document.

Tesco also found that levels of indebtedness to service or labour providers were higher in Malaysia.

The firm has developed a plan to look further into the situation, including detailed investigations of specific allegations, setting up support lines and grievance mechanisms for agency workers in their home languages and guidelines to ensure workers have access to passports whenever needed.

[...]