31 Mar 2025
Speed Up! Addressing forced labor risks in Taiwan’s car, bicycle and electronics industries
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 31 Mar 2025
Location: Taiwan
Companies
ZF Friedrichshafen - Buyer , Vanguard - Investor , Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) - Investor , Dimensional Fund Advisors - Investor , Iron Force Industrial - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Philippines , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Recruitment FeesResponse
Response sought: Yes, by journalist & BHRC
Story containing response: (Find out more)
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: ZF responded to the journalist, saying the allegations will be investigated. Vanguard, Dimensional did not respond to BHRC; and Norges Bank Investment Management did respond - it's response can be read in the story on BHRC's website.
Source type: News outlet
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 31 Mar 2025
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Pegatron - Parent Company , Pegavision - Employer , Asustek Computer Inc - Investor , Vanguard - Investor , BlackRock - Investor , Morgan Stanley - Investor , Dimensional Fund Advisors - Investor , Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) - InvestorAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Vietnam , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Philippines , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Recruitment Fees , IntimidationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRC and journalist
Story containing response: (Find out more)
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Neither Pegatron nor Pegavision responded to the journalist; in its response to BHRC, ASUS said it has no connection to Pegatron and it became a separate entity from Pegatron in 2008. Responses were also received from BlackRock, Morgan Stanley and Norges Bank Investment Management, which can be read in full on the story on BHRC's website. Vanguard, Dimensional did not respond.
Source type: News outlet
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 31 Mar 2025
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Topview - Employer , Motorola Solutions - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Vietnam , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Recruitment Fees , IntimidationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Motorola Solutions, who told the journalist that suppliers must prohibit recruitment fee charging.
Source type: News outlet
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 31 Mar 2025
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Axis Technologies - Buyer , Alltronix - Buyer , Advantech - Investor , Dimensional Fund Advisors - Investor , Axiomtek - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Vietnam , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Wage Theft , IntimidationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRC and journalist
Story containing response: (Find out more)
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The investors did not respond to BHRC.
Source type: News outlet
...Taiwan is one of the world’s 25 largest economies, known for its sizable electronics industry, while other manufacturing industries - including car parts and bicycles - also contribute to exports.
Majority of Taiwan's 750,000 registered migrant workers are employed in manufacturing, where risking debt bondage is the rule and not the exception, as many incur high debt to pay recruiters exorbitant fees to get jobs. For decades, Taiwanese civil society groups have campaigned against punitive migrant worker conditions, including recruitment fees, but next to no factory cases have reached the international public domain.
This report is a compilation of such factory cases. Its purpose to illustrate how migrant's conditions in Taiwan are directly connected to companies and consumers worldwide. And to illustrate that change-making is possible, even on a shoestring budget. So far, worker reimbursement ($5m) and fee exemptions ($2m) add up to estimatedly $7 million and is expected to reach $10 million in 2025...