More bad news for Top Glove in NZ as supplier stops imports

Malaysia's Top Glove is facing more bad news in New Zealand after a major supplier ceased imports of the company's disposable gloves following concerns about forced migrant labour.

Ebos, which is New Zealand's largest personal protective equipment (PPE) supplier, has stopped importing a brand of gloves by Top Glove, according to newsroom.co.nz.

This came after the watchdog outfit Business and Human Rights Resource Centre engaged Ebos asking that the company investigate their supply chain following reports about forced labour involving Top Glove.

Ebos gets its supply from Australian-based PPE firm Ansell which in turn buys from Top Glove.

The international watchdog had also engaged with another New Zealand PPE supplier, Protec Solutions, about Top Glove but the company did not respond.

In July, New Zealand's Foodstuffs supermarket chain also pulled Top Glove's disposable gloves from its shelves.

This followed a US ban in June on imports of gloves from the world's biggest medical glove manufacturer.

“Top Glove products will remain off our shelves until we are satisfied ethical standards have been met," Foodstuff’s head of corporate affairs and CSR Antoinette Laird was quoted as saying by Newsroom, a news organisation based in New Zealand.

Following the US ban, Top Glove has worked to improve the treatment of its migrant workers.

Top Glove stressed it abides by a "strict labour governance" related to its recruitment and treatment of foreign labour.

The company said it practices "zero tolerance" towards unethical recruitment agencies.

Under its zero-cost recruitment policy, Top Glove insisted that it bears all recruitment-related fees and workers who have had to pay a fee to recruitment agencies in source countries will be reimbursed.

Recruitment agencies have been accused of charging exorbitant fees on migrant workers that put them in debt bondage.

Human rights groups have lobbied company hiring migrant workers to bypass such firms.