KUALA LUMPUR – Supermax Corporation Bhd is confident that workers at its sites are free from systemic forced labour and that it is not in violation of any of the 11 International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) forced labour indicators, the company said today.
The rubber glove manufacturer added that it is confident that all of its current human resources (HR) practices and policies will meet the expectations of international bodies, including United States Customs and Border Protection.
In a statement today, it said that since January this year, the company has put in place measures supported by a comprehensive foreign worker management policy to strengthen its HR management and migrant workers’ policies and practices, adding that it is now aligned with ILO standards.
Supermax said that it has embarked on its undertakings to meet ILO standards since 2019 with the introduction of zero-cost recruitment fees, adding that it was among the first in the industry to do so.
The company said it then continued to work towards meeting ILO standards, however, it claims its efforts were hindered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the movement control orders implemented in the country.
“Subsequently, several independent audits facilitated further understanding of the ILO forced labour indicators which led the company to further refine its HR practices,” it said.
In November 2021, the company engaged an experienced HR Consultant with in-depth experience in the social compliance field to help facilitate work on the compliance framework and guide its remediation process, it said.
This led to the launch of its new policy amongst other initiatives where work has been completed in various stages.
“To date, the company has introduced a slew of refinements and several industry-first initiatives which include the introduction of equal pay and equal benefit for both its local and foreign workers and introduced a hybrid human resource management approach for on-site vendors.
“The company has also removed the cut-off period for ex-workers remediation and implemented a higher than the statutory minimum wage in December 2021,” it said.
The company said it has also successfully implemented an independent worker helpline to encourage consistency, transparency and fairness in the handling and management of workplace problems and complaints.
Additionally, the company said there is a 24-member workers’ committee elected by the workers to engage in strengthening workers’ welfare and labour relations.
Supermax said it will continue to ensure it maintains the highest standards in labour management in line with the international standards defined by the ILO.
At lunch break today, shares of Supermax rose 1.75% to 87 sen, with 9.82 million shares changing hands. – Bernama, June 24, 2022
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