Posted by Keyman188 > 2020-12-27 21:42 | Report Abuse

Global glove importers rethink relationship with Malaysian manufacturer

(December 27, 2020 7:30 AM)

PETALING JAYA: Two key global glove importers are re-evaluating their relationship with a Malaysian glove manufacturer after government raids uncovered abysmal foreign worker accommodations at two of its subsidiaries.

Kimberly-Clark, the American personal care giant behind household brands such as Kleenex, Scott and Huggies, told FMT it was “evaluating the matter” when asked whether it would continue to source from the company.

Meanwhile, Ansell, an Australian safety and personal protection firm which supplies the UK’s National Health Service, said it was planning to meet the company’s managing director “as quickly as possible” to decide on the consequences of this “unacceptable situation”.

A multi-agency operation at one of the factories on Monday found 781 workers living behind the building in two blocks of shipping containers stacked three storeys high. A separate raid on its sister company on Thursday found workers crammed into two warehouses at either end of a pathway filled with mountains of garbage and factory waste.

“We were shocked to see such living conditions (in the first factory), which are absolutely unacceptable,” said an Ansell spokesperson.

“Based on the photos and video included in the media reports, it is evident that the living conditions provided for some workers at the site are unacceptable and are a violation of Ansell’s ethical labour standards, human rights statement and supplier code of conduct.”

The company also said it was in contact with other suppliers to determine alternatives and ensure it continued to meet the increased global demand for personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Insisting it was “absolutely not” aware of the living conditions at the first factory, Ansell said a third party audit ordered by the company in May 2019 did not reveal the foreign workers’ dismal living conditions.

“We are investigating why,” it said.

Kimberly-Clark’s spokesperson, meanwhile, said it was concerned by the recent reports and was committed to ensuring that its employees around the world – including those of its suppliers – were treated with respect, with workplace and human rights standards met at all times.

“Through our processes to hold suppliers to high standards of safety, quality and compliance, we have identified some improvement opportunities and will continue to work with (the company) as we would with any supplier to enable meaningful improvements.

“Importantly, we also know that through continued engagement, there is a greater chance of affecting positive outcomes in this regard.”

This is not the first time either of the companies have had to take a closer look at the Malaysian glove manufacturers which they source from.

Ansell – which supplies to hospitals, care homes, local authorities and the private sector – also sources from Top Glove, the world’s largest glove manufacturer.

In 2018, Ansell was forced to investigate allegations that Top Glove was exploiting workers after an ABC News investigation revealed issues such as excessive overtime and costly recruitment fees among its foreign workers.

It is understood that Ansell still sources gloves from Top Glove.


US import ban

In July, two of Top Glove’s subsidiaries were placed on a list of restricted imports into the US by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) due to alleged forced labour issues.

This came after another Malaysian glove maker, WRP Asia Pacific, was slapped with the same withhold release order on its exports to the US in September 2019 after charges that its gloves were produced with forced labour.

The ban was lifted in March based on information obtained by the CBP showing that the company was no longer producing its rubber gloves under forced labour conditions.

For both Top Glove and WRP, the issue at hand was the exorbitant recruitment fees its foreign workers had to pay to secure jobs at the companies – pushing them into debt bondage, one of the 11 indicators of forced labour according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Among the other indicators were poor living conditions, placing the glove company supplying Kimberly-Clark and Ansell at risk of seeing their imports to several US companies being put on hold.

While a CBP representative was unable to disclose whether it was investigating specific entities, he told FMT that the CBP would continue to investigate credible allegations of forced labour in US supply chains and would prevent goods made by forced labour from entering US commerce.

“There are reputational, financial and legal risks associated with importing goods made by forced labour into the US,” said the CBP spokesperson.

“US importers have a responsibility to exercise reasonable care and to ensure that their supply chains are free of forced labour. CBP will not tolerate forced labour in US supply chains.”

Posted by Keyman188 > 2020-12-27 21:42 | Report Abuse

##https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/12/27/global-glove-importers-rethink-relationship-with-malaysian-manufacturer/

Posted by Keyman188 > 2020-12-27 21:44 | Report Abuse

OMG...Top Glove how to solve it ???

Posted by spectre007 > 2020-12-27 21:49 | Report Abuse

Good luck then. Cancel orders now... And wait til 2022

Posted by Keyman188 > 2020-12-27 21:56 | Report Abuse

Not easy to solve since so many labour need to proper re-allocate...

Posted by gemfinder > 2020-12-27 22:05 | Report Abuse

Forced laborn should ban all gloves from malaysia

Posted by Keyman188 > 2020-12-27 22:36 | Report Abuse

So we need to monitor closely how will be market reaction tomorrow...

Posted by Keyman188 > 2020-12-28 09:10 | Report Abuse

Seem today glove sector heavily selling pressure due to this news...

Posted by Keyman188 > 2020-12-28 09:54 | Report Abuse

Be more alert....

Posted by Keyman188 > 2020-12-28 10:28 | Report Abuse

Keyman188 not the professional or expertise...Let the expertise give more advise to the market...

为什么想投资科技股就必须关注美国大选最终结果？马股橱窗粉饰之后会有调整吗？ - 陈剑

##https://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/kianweiaritcles/2020-12-26-story-h1538398268.jsp


业绩这么好为何股价涨不动？近期手套股业绩和股价走势背离最完整讲解！- 陈剑
## https://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/kianweiaritcles/2020-11-20-story-h1536526427.jsp


新冠疫苗面世后，股市里的聪明钱会去哪里？对手套板块有多大影响？- 陈剑
## https://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/kianweiaritcles/2020-11-14-story-h1536429185.jsp

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That's reason why some investment banks (IB) had started to revise glove sector outlook.........



Hereby to enclose the latest glove preview & outlook by IB...


Macquarie downgrades Top Glove to 'underperform', halves target price as earnings could normalise in 2H21

(theedgemarkets.com / September 10, 2020 17:36 pm +08)

##https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/macquarie-downgrades-top-glove-underperform-halves-target-price-earnings-could-normalise




JP Morgan pegs these glove makers' fair value at up to half their market price, says supernormal cycle is over

(theedgemarkets.com / December 12, 2020 00:16 am +08)

##https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/jp-morgan-pegs-these-glove-makers-fair-value-half-their-market-price-says-supernormal-cycle




PublicInvest Research downgrades Top Glove to 'neutral' on ESG concerns

(theedgemarkets.com / December 18, 2020 10:38 am +08)

##https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/publicinvest-research-downgrades-top-glove-neutral-esg-concerns



Revision :-

Macquarie - TP : 5.45

JP Morgan - TP : 3.50

PB IB - TP : 7.30



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Keyman188 comment is only for those need to heard & perceive...


Save your hard earned money to avoid fighting with Big Funds...


Sometime need to follow the "wind" where to come...where to blow....