Tesco workers in Malaysia and Thailand abused, UK grocer says in modern slavery report

Hundreds of workers at Tesco’s stores and distribution centres say they had their passports taken, suffered illegal pay cuts or worked gruelling hours, report finds

The British grocery chain hired a human rights consultancy last year to conduct the independent assessment

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People walk past at a Tesco Express in central London. File photo: AFP

Published: 7:08pm, 16 May 2020Updated: 8:20pm, 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.

Tesco says it has developed a plan to look further into the situation, including detailed investigations of specific allegations. Photo: EPA

“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.