In a ground-breaking development for global labor rights and supply chain accountability, British tech firm Dyson agreed to settle a lawsuit by 24 former migrant workers. According to testimony, workers were subjected to forced labor and exploitation while making parts for its products at a factory in Malaysia. Notably UK courts agreed to hear allegations about working conditions in Malaysia, countering Dyson’s earlier argument that any claim should be pursued in Malaysian courts, possibly setting a new precedent for supply chain and labor abuse cases going forward. 

Forced labor claims and years of legal struggle 

The workers originally sued Dyson in 2022 alleging that conditions at Malaysian supplier ATA Industrial amounted to modern slavery. Subsequently, their testimony listed wage deductions, physical abuse, passport confiscation, and unhealthy working conditions as some of what they endured.  

The BBC reports their lawyers stated: 

…they were denied toilet breaks and forced to work upwards of 12 hours at a time without relieving themselves (in addition to) being threatened and beaten.

Sadly, these types of labor exploitation claims are not isolated to Malaysia or Dyson. They echo global patterns of exploitation in supply chains. Undeniably, migrant laborers often face horrible hidden abuses and limited, if not no, access to justice. And this case comes following years of advocates and investigative journalists raising the alarm about labor abuse in supply chains overseas. 

Tellingly, back in 2022 Channel 4 News released an exposé on the same forced labor allegations against Dyson’s Malaysian suppliers. Dyson threatened that if the program ran, the news station could be liable for billions in damages. Thankfully Channel 4 News refused to back down and ran the program. And Dyson did eventually withdrew its libel lawsuit against the broadcaster. Advocates hailed it as a victory for transparency around forced labor in corporate supply chains. 

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