Munich-based MAN Truck & Bus, a subsidiary of Volkswagen-owned commercial vehicle manufacturer Traton, has ended a tyre supply deal with the Serbian plant of Chinese Shandong Linglong Tire Co., citing allegations of “human rights violations” …

…BIRN has reported extensively since 2021 on the exploitation of Vietnamese and Indian workers at the Linglong site in Serbia, which is key to the Chinese company’s European ambitions.

The allegations included a raft of Labour Law violations, the confiscation of passports and cramped, dirty, unsanitary accommodation.

Linglong has denied any wrongdoing…

MAN Truck & Bus told Manager Magazin: “We have been following the reports on the working conditions in the Serbian plant of one of our suppliers. We take the allegations that human rights violations have occurred in this context very seriously and, in connection with this suspected case, stopped all delivery requests to the supplier in question at the end of November.”

However, German car giant Volkswagen, MAN’s ultimate owner, said it was still seeking to “clarify the facts”…

The factory officially opened its doors in September this year, when Linglong Tire general director Wang Feng listed Volkswagen as among the plant’s first customers, alongside Nissan, Audi, Ford, Stellantis, Hyundai, Kia and MAN Truck & Bus…