21st Nov Green Left AUS: Bangladeshi workers (alleged forced labour victims) in Ansell’s supply chain (Mediceram, Malaysia) face deportation
November 21, 2025, Issue 1443, News
Migrant rights activists allege Ansell, which manufactures personal protective equipment in more than 100 countries, is not doing enough to ensure its supply chain companies treat their workers fairly.
Sourced from: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/bangladeshi-workers-ansells-supply-chain-face-deportation
Human rights activists are demanding the Australian-based Ansell take steps to prevent the forced repatriation of Bangladeshi workers from Ansell’s contractor, Mediceram, in Malaysia.
Twenty six Bangladeshi workers in a glove mould factory in Negeri Sembilan received tickets from Mediceram on November 18 for flights to Dhaka on November 22-23.
See also Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers (Green Left 15th Nov)
None want to return to Bangladesh because a conciliation hearing to contest their unfair dismissal and visa cancellations is set down for next week.
The workers have requested a new employer, rather than repatriation, so they can continue to work in Malaysia. However, Malaysian regulations do not allow foreign workers to change employer, even in cases of serious workplace abuse.
Employers can, however, consent to workers changing their boss. But Mediceram is refusing to agree, instead cancelling the workers’ visas after dismissing them over a work stoppage it had consented to.
The affected workers travelled to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on November 19 to request help to move from Mediceram’s accommodation to a safe house and avoid the deportation. They were denied assistance.
One hundred and eighty former Mediceram workers, who were unfairly dismissed in late October, allege they paid large sums of money to work in Malaysia, only to have their passports withheld, permits not renewed, while being forced to live crowded and sub-standard accommodation.
They also allege wage theft, unrealistic targets and bullying and violence. The workers’ leaders have been dismissed, had their visas cancelled and face deportation.
Time is running out for these workers as their legal avenues of redress close up.
“These workers have families and communities in Bangladesh who depend on them. Empty stomachs and no education for their families should not be used as a weapon by contract companies within the Ansell supply chain,” Andy Hall, a migrant worker rights activist, told Green Left.
Slavery was abolished in 1833 in the British Empire, but it took until 2018 for Australia to introduce the Modern Slavery Act.
Ansell claims to carry out its business in line with Australian environmental, social and governance standards and modern anti-slavery laws. Yet, its global supply chains maintain slave-like conditions.
Australian corporations must report annually if there has been any indication of slavery in their business. Importantly, they should have a duty to prevent and remediate modern-day slavery.
Corporations should be legally required to investigate and address concerns about forced labour in their supply chains, or face the consequences.
Unions also need to ensure that industry superannuation funds are not benefiting from enslavement practices. Coles was embarrassed by the United Workers Union (UWU) in 2019 over migrant worker abuse. It led to management, together with unions, to work together to address problems.
If it is unacceptable for Australian workers to be mistreated, the same rules must apply to companies with supply chains in the Asia-Pacific. The recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) complaint against Ansell over Mediceram highlights the challenge.
The affected Bangladeshi workers have no remedy in Australia beyond a drawn-out, involuntary and unenforceable OECD complaints process, in which Hall is supporting them.
Complaints about global supply chains mistreating their workers take too long to be resolved. Unions should push federal Labor, via their superannuation funds, to give the Modern Slavery Act real teeth so that any supply chain company which effectively enslaves its workers must be bought to justice.
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Daily Star 17th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers (alleged forced labour victims) file police reports against Malaysia’s Mediceram glove company (Ansell’s global supply chain)
93 workers accuse Mediceram of breaching labor laws
Sun Nov 16, 2025
Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/around-asia/news/bangladeshi-workers-file-police-reports-against-malaysian-company-4036366
A group of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia has filed police reports against their employer, gloves manufacturer Mediceram, alleging illegal confiscation of passports and failure to renew work permits. The reports were lodged yesterday at the Nelai police station by two migrants on behalf of 93 workers, accusing the company of serious violations of labour laws and breach of contract.
Mediceram terminated 170 workers on October 31 after they staged demonstrations protesting the non-renewal of work permits. Since then, the company has cancelled the visas of 16 workers, prompting Malaysian authorities to deport them to Bangladesh.
The workers, who joined Mediceram in 2023, said they faced months of unpaid or irregular wages and repeated delays in renewing work permits, despite having paid between Tk 4.5 lakh and Tk 6 lakh each to secure employment.
In a significant development, Australian buying company Ansell has suspended its business relationship with Mediceram following the allegations.
Workers described dire conditions at the company’s hostel. “The employer confiscated the passports of 93 workers. This is a violation of labour and immigration law, while also putting us at immigration risk,” one migrant told The Daily Star.
In their police report, the workers requested that Malaysian authorities launch an immediate investigation and that the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources take action against Mediceram. They also demanded that those involved in passport confiscation be brought to justice and called on the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to provide urgent legal protection.
Daily Star 15th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi High Commission to Mediceram – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’ in Ansell global gloves supply chain alleged forced labour case in Malaysia
Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia writes to Mediceram
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
Sourced from https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/reinstate-170-workers-4035261
Sat Nov 15, 2025
Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia has formally written to Mediceram, requesting the company to reinstate more than 170 migrants dismissed on October 31 and to thoroughly review the workers’ allegations.
The high commission made the statement on its Facebook page yesterday, two days after Ansell Limited — the Australia-based buying company — announced it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.
Mediceram terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of work visas for more than 90 migrants.
In early November, Malaysian authorities deported 16 of the workers after Mediceram allegedly forced them to the airport.
Upon returning home, the workers formed human chains in Dhaka and Cumilla and submitted a letter to Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul, seeking justice over the forced deportation.
Each migrant had spent between Tk 450,000 and Tk 600,000 to migrate to Malaysia. Many received irregular and low wages, and several had their work permits left unrenewed.
The high commission said it contacted the company’s chairman and the workers after receiving the termination notices, offering cooperation to resolve the issue peacefully. It held several rounds of discussions with both sides.
Following the restructuring of the company’s management, several positive measures improved working conditions, but some disputes remained.
In response to the High Commission’s request, Mediceram has expressed willingness to resolve the issue quickly and agreed to reinstate the striking workers immediately, subject to their return to work and clearance from Malaysian immigration.Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies hold banners during a protest in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment demanding unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian soldiers employers, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
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BHRRC Malaysia: Bangladeshi workers employed by glove co. Mediceram supplying to major multinationals protest alleged rights abuses & forced deportations; incl. cos. responses
On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying.
Bangladeshi worker employed by Mediceram
In November 2025, it was reported that 180 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia were allegedly dismissed by the Malaysian glove manufacturer Mediceram at the end of October after they protested the non-renewal of many of their visas. Mediceram – a glove manufacturer – allegedly supplies to major multinationals including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove.
Ten of the Bangladeshi workers allegedly were then deported after being “forcibly” taken to the airport by Mediceram executives, and an additional six were deported later in November, according to The Daily Star. The remaining workers were allegedly threatened with deportation by the company. Later in November, around 150 of the workers wrote an ‘open letter’ protesting the forced repatriations and urging intervention in the case. The open letter calls for the workers to be transferred to a new employer.
The allegations follow previous reporting of labour rights violations at Mediceram, including wage theft and recruitment fee charging. Reporting says that, while Mediceram refunded the workers’ recruitment fees, the workers’ visas remained expired, which led to repeated protests throughout the year.
According to reporting by ABC News in September 2025, a complaint was lodged with the federal Treasury in Australia (which runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct) against buyer Ansell, alleging a range of abuses at Mediceram, including wage theft, debt bondage and forced labour. Ansell told ABC Newsthat it investigated the allegations and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”. Mediceram denied the allegations.
In November 2025, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Mediceram, Top Glove, YTY and Ansell to respond to the allegations of dismissal and forced deportations, and to disclose the steps they have taken to investigate and remedy workers for the abuse reported. We also invited the buyers to disclose any human rights due diligence they undertake prior to entering into contracts with suppliers and when monitoring working conditions at suppliers. Responses from Mediceram, Ansell, Top Glove and YTY can be read below.
Later in November, several news outlets reported that around 100 workers employed by Mediceram and another Malaysian company, Kawaguchi Manufacturing, protested in Kuala Lumpur demanding unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to labour rights abuse (The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment – see more on abuses at Kawaguchi Manufacturing here, including responses from the buyers).
It was also reported that Ansell suspended its relationship with Mediceram (see Ansell’s press release here), and that the workers have filed a police complaint against Mediceram.
Company Responses
YTY Industries View Response
Ansell View Response
Top Glove View Response
MediCeram View Response
Timeline
- Daily Star 16 Nov 2025 – Bangladeshi workers file police reports against Malaysian company
- Daily Star 15 Nov 2025 – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’
- YTY response re- alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
- Ansell response re- alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
- Top Glove’s response re-alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
- Mediceram response re- alleged labour rights abuses of Bangladeshi employees
- Associated Press 10th Nov 2025 – Bangladeshi workers protest in Malaysia over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims
- Daily Star 8th Nov 2025 – 152 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia protest forced repatriation
- Daily Star 6th Nov 2025 – Dream turns into despair for 10 deported migrants
- Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions
- Daily Star 3rd Nov 2025 – Malaysia’s Mediceram sends back 10 Bangladeshis
- ABC 10th Sept 2025 – Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram
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14th Nov 2025 Bangaldeshi High Commission KL Statement on Mediceram: Bangladeshi workers protest with Malaysian Mediceram company
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Green Left 15th Nov 2025: Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers
November 15, 2025, Issue 1443, News
Many Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia face discrimination, including those working for Ansell subsidiaries.
Read full story at: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/complaint-lodged-against-ansells-treatment-foreign-workers
Migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall has lodged a complaint to the Australian government about Mediceram’s, Ansell’s Malaysian supplier, treatment of its workers.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) complaint came to light at Ansell’s annual general meeting on October 29 in Naarm/Melbourne.
Ansell’s performance has been tainted by a perceived lack of due diligence in its supply chain.
Regional Trade Unions Human Rights Shareholder Group representative Ron Guy, who is also a member of the Ballarat Regional Trades and Labour Council, asked Ansell chair Nigel Garrard about the cost of fighting paying compensation to complainants in another case connected to an Ansell supplier. Garrard replied that doing business in Asia was difficult.
Hall’s OECD application alleged Ansell had failed in its due diligence. Foreign workers, many from Bangladesh, suffer threats and bullying, delayed wages and poor living conditions.
They allege their passports were taken and, without work permit renewals, they became “illegal”. Focus Malaysia reported on November 12 that 15 Bangladeshi workers were forced to return home from Malaysia because they demanded permit renewals and payment for former workers. The Migrant Welfare Network, based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, alleges that 400 affected workers from Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing were still owed wages.
Hall and his team, who have been campaigning against modern-day slavery, are being accused of corruption by Ansell’s PR firm Sefiani. Instead of focusing on illuminating modern day slavery, its strategy is to discredit the messenger.
Ansell said on November 12 it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram and that it was paying out more than US$1 million to workers “ahead of originally agreed timelines”. It said it was “surprised” that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers.
As Australia’s superannuation funds continue to grow, much of it coming from union members, the expectation must be that profits are not derived from modern-day slavery or genocide.
Daily Star 14th Nov 2025: Ansell cuts ties with Malaysian Mediceram firm
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
Fri Nov 14, 2025
Australian buying company, Ansell Limited, has suspended its relationship with Malaysian company Mediceram, which has recently terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers and deported some of them under coercion, said Ansell in a statement on its website on November 12.
Mediceram, supplier of ceramic formers, on October 31, terminated the workers for staging protests against non-renewal of about 90 migrants.Workers in tears during forceful deportations at Mediceram
These workers had migrated to Malaysia in 2023 but got irregular or no pay, while their work permits were not renewed on time.
In last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.
Ansell said progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than $1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.
“Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on October 31 that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work,” it said.
“In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on November 4, 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.”
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Ansell Mediceram Release 12Nov25.pdfDownload
Richmond, VIC – 12 November 2025 – Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) a global leader in protection solutions, announced it has suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers. The suspension stems from concerns about deteriorating relations between Mediceram and its foreign workers, following repeated strike actions over issues including the renewal of work visas, which remain pending with the relevant Malaysian immigration and labour authorities.
As advised in a statement last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.
Progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than USD 1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.
Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on 31 October that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work. We promptly expressed our clear view to Mediceram that this was not an appropriate course of action in these circumstances. In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on 4 November 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.
Ansell will continue to engage with Mediceram on the conditions necessary for Ansell to consider reinstating the supplier relationship. These include Mediceram completing all outstanding matters in the remediation program swiftly and structurally and demonstrating a sustained commitment to safeguarding worker welfare, and ensuring all workers, particularly those terminated and awaiting repatriation, have sufficient financial support to cover living costs.
We recognise that this situation has raised concerns, and we are aware of conflicting statements regarding representation of workers’ interests that may be influencing the dialogue between Mediceram workers and management. Ansell will not engage in speculation or commentary on matters beyond our direct involvement. Our priority remains supporting constructive conversations, ensuring fair treatment, and working toward a positive resolution of outstanding issues.
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Associated Press World News 10th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers protest over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims in Malaysian global supply chain factories (today’s Dhaka human chain protest summaries)
BY JULHAS ALAM
November 10, 2025
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — About 100 Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers.
The Migrant Welfare Network, a Bangladeshi migrant group based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, organized the protest at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.
The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment.
The demonstrators said the event was organized to protest what they say is widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s richest nations. They demanded unpaid wage support and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers they said were exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing.
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The exploitation of migrant workers: Mediceram and Kawaguchi – a case of insufficient enforcement?
By K. Veeriah
“About 100 Bangladesh workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, for fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers” — Associated Press World News, Nov 10, 2025
See also Daily Star 11th Nov 2025: Deported workers call for justice
PRESS RELEASE MWN EN 10th NovDownload
Press Release MWN (Bangladeshi version) 10th NovDownload
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Many factories in Malaysia and other Southeast Asia countries rely on migrant workers, often from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, to fill labor-intensive jobs in manufacturing, plantations or construction. Local workers usually avoid such jobs because of their poor conditions and low wages.
The Migrant Welfare Network urged Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities and international buyers to take immediate action to ensure workers receive wages already owed, fair compensation and “justice for systemic abuses.”
The group said in statement Monday that a complaint claiming forced labor and neglect has been filed with the Malaysian government against Australian company Ansell, a major customer of Mediceram, which manufactures gloves for medical, industrial and domestic use.
A separate complaint was filed against Kawaguchi, which supplied plastic components to large Japanese companies, including Sony Group.
In May, around 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers for Kawaguchi demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other money owed to them after the company closed five months earlier.
Workers at Kawaguchi’s factory in Port Klang filed complaints in Malaysia and Bangladesh claiming the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before closing after Sony and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi’s main customers, halted orders in response to allegations the workers were mistreated.
“In the beginning, they used to pay the salary in parts, meaning they would give 500–1000 ringgit (about $120-$240) per month as food expenses,” said former Kawaguchi employee Omar Faruk, who began working for the manufacturer in 2022. “After withholding the salary, the company started considering shutting down. Later, we filed a complaint at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.”
Harun Or Rasid Liton, who worked at Mediceram, accused the company of not paying despite an order by the Malaysian Labor Court.
“The court ruled that the company would pay us 1,000 ringgit per month, but the company paid only the first installment and then stopped paying,” he said. “Later, we had no choice but to return to Bangladesh. Now we are facing severe hardship in maintaining our families.”
There have been widespread reports of abuse of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and disputes between employees and companies have become a diplomatic sore point between Bangladesh and Malaysia. Workers’ rights groups have demanded stringent scrutiny on the powerful group of recruitment agencies and middlemen who monopolize such jobs.
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Photos and videos from 10th Nov innovative and impressive human chain event in Dhaka – youth power against injustice, corruption and exploitation https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16k3YYDWaz/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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Today, the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN)—a Bangladeshi migrant network based in Malaysia and Bangladesh— organised a human chain and press conference in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
The event aimed to demand urgent support for 431 Bangladeshi workers exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. and Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., and to draw attention to the widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia.
MWN calls on Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, as well as international buyers, to take immediate action to ensure workers receive all owed wages, fair compensation, and justice for systemic abuses. We also urge the media, activists, rights community, and other relevant stakeholders to give this matter immediate attention. The Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and the Expatriates Ministry in Dhaka have failed to protect victims of modern slavery, instead creating an environment of retaliation following their involvement.
Brief overview of the cases:
- Mediceram Sdn. Bhd.: Workers suffered for years from late wages, threats, bullying, and poor living conditions. When their passports were taken, they became isolated. Without work permit renewals, many have become illegal. This is forced labour and modern slavery. The company did refund recruitment fees after several strikes and external pressures, but in 1st week of November 2025, 15 workers were forced to return home because they demanded permit renewals and repayment for former workers. Worker leaders elected by workers were deported in clear retaliation, with one escaping by fleeing. An OECD complaint has been filed against the Australian company Ansell, a major buyer from Mediceram, about forced labour and neglect. Conditions of the Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram are getting worse.
- Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.: This company was a major supplier for global brands such as Sony, Panasonic, and Daikin. Workers paid high recruitment fees and experienced wage payment irregularities starting in 2022, with their salaries going entirely unpaid for seven months as of September 2024. After facing months of hardship and strikes, 308 Bangladeshi workers were reimbursed by the above-mentioned buyers for recruitment fees and compensation for their hardship. However, their unpaid wages remained outstanding even after the Malaysian authority (JTK) issued a consent order following a settlement meeting between the workers, JTK, and Kawaguchi management on 24th December 2024. The Taiwanese owner of Kawaguchi still owes 3 million RM to 251 migrant workers, yet the company was officially closed without settling this debt, highlighting a significant failure of the Malaysian system.
Demands: 1. Immediate compensation for Mediceram workers who were forcibly deported for demanding work permit renewal and recruitment fee reimbursement for their colleagues. 2. Stop forced deportations immediately and assist with transferring from Mediceram to a responsible employer through the legal process. 2 3. Immediate ban on Mediceram and its owner, Mr Arumugam Suppiah Datu and his companies from hiring any more Bangladeshi workers in future. 4. Ensure that all former Kawaguchi workers receive their pending wages in accordance with the JTK consent order, and that former Mediceram workers are reimbursed for their recruitment fees. 5. We call for a reformation of the performance of the Bangladeshi High Commission, KL, in line with the genuine needs of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, who are suffering in large numbers. 6. We call for comprehensive reform of Bangladesh’s recruitment and migration system so that safeguarding migrant workers’ rights becomes the central focus, rather than prioritising remittance generation. 7. We call for complete transparency and systemic support from international buyers to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights.
The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN) highlights and emphasises that “these workers have built Malaysia’s industries and supported Bangladesh’s economy through their remittances. They deserve justice—not deportation, debt, or threat.”
Nironjan, a Mediceram Workers Committee member recently deported, said: “We requested our rights as humans but were treated as second-class humans, even as animals. Our demands for salaries and recruitment fee refunds led to harassment. When we asked for legal status and reimbursement for friends, we were threatened and forced onto flights. Speaking up results in deportation, and after mass dismissals, we’re barred from seeking new employment. We have decided to keep appealing to authorities, media, activists and the public for justice.”
Omar Faruq, a former Kawaguchi worker forced to leave Malaysia due to the uncertain RTK system, said: “We suffered passport confiscation and unpaid salaries for over seven months, leaving us hungry and desperate. Our appeals to authorities brought no help. Our wages still remain unpaid as the company closed without settlement. Thousands of migrant workers face similar hardship in Malaysia. Complete reform is needed.”
Media References: ABC News (Australia): “Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers” (Sept 2025). Click for news link The Daily Star (Bangladesh): “Dream turns into despair for deported Mediceram workers” (6 Nov 2025). Click for news link AP News: “Migrant workers from Kawaguchi seek unpaid wages, partial repayments arranged” (May 2025). Click for news link
Contact: Migrant Welfare Network (MWN): mw.org2025@gmail.comor +8801622125270 Nironjan, Mediceram Workers Representative: +880 1938962947Omar Faruq, Kawaguchi Workers Representative: +880 1620785039 Thank you for your attention and participation!
ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram
Original Source: ABC News by Ben Butler– 11th September 202
In short:
A complaint lodged at the federal Treasury claims 220 Bangladeshi workers at a Malaysian factory where moulds for Ansell gloves are made have suffered serious human rights abuses.
Ansell, headquartered in Melbourne, says it has looked into the allegations and identified breaches of international labour standards.
However, the Malaysian company’s chairman denies the allegations.
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Australian glove-maker Ansell is being accused of using an overseas supplier that has allegedly exploited more than 200 factory workers — including through forced labour — in a complaint lodged with the federal government.
The Melbourne-based company confirmed to the ABC that it has investigated allegations involving workers at the Malaysian factory, among others, and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”.
It is now the subject of a complaint lodged with the federal Treasury — where disputes over minimum labour standards at multinational companies are filed — by international labour activist Andy Hall.Original worker demandsOriginal worker demands
According to the complaint, more than 220 Bangladeshi workers at MediCeram, which makes moulds for Ansell’s gloves, “have suffered serious abuses of fundamental worker and human rights”.Ansell is a Melbourne-based company that makes gloves as well as other personal protection equipment for the healthcare industry. (ABC News: John Gunn)Workers OECD complaint against Ansell in Australia
The alleged abuses include wage theft, forced labour and debt bondage, as well as the deportation of workers who complained about their treatment.
MediCeram vehemently denies any abuse of its workers.
In his complaint, Mr Hall said the workers paid fees of about $US5,200 each to recruiters in Bangladesh, leaving them in debt bondage.
Ansell Advances Labour Rights Across Its Supply Chain Press Release August 2025.pdf (recent statement)Download
Many took industrial action in March over allegations of several months of unpaid wages and overtime, according to the complaint.
Mr Hall also alleged that some workers had been deprived of their passports for periods of time and their work visas had not been renewed.
He alleged that about 33 workers who complained to management were sacked and deported.
“Ansell’s due diligence measures failed to prevent the forced labour and retribution by termination in this instance,” Mr Hall said in the complaint.
One Bangladeshi employee, speaking anonymously to the ABC over concerns about his employment, said six workers were housed in each room at MediCeram’s accommodation.
Chairman of Malaysian company denies allegations
Workers original demands March 2025 at Mediceram
Mr Hall filed the complaint with Treasury because it runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (AusNCP) — the designated “national contact point” for dealing with such disputes under an arrangement set up by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
(270525) Ansell – Mediceram statement – for customers.pdfDownload
(20250624) Ansell – Mediceram Letter.pdfDownload
It is the second time labour activists have used the mechanism to allege breaches of workers’ rights at suppliers to Ansell.
In 2017, Treasury settled a dispute between the company and the union IndustriALL. In that matter, it was alleged that workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination. Ansell denied the allegations.Ansell has previously denied allegations of unsafe working conditions at its factories. (Facebook: Ansell)
MediCeram supplies moulds of hands that are dipped into latex or plastic to make gloves for Ansell. The Malaysian company’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, denied all of Mr Hall’s allegations.
“This is unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist,” he told the ABC.
“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules.
“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”
He said Ansell continued to support MediCeram, but had not bought anything from the company for three months.On their corporate Facebook page, Ansell advertises the size of their glove business. (Facebook: Ansell)
An Ansell spokesperson said the company “pre-ordered, expedited payment for and took advance delivery of over one year’s worth of ceramic formers to support the supplier’s cash flow” so that MediCeram could fund repayments to workers and a remediation package.
The spokesperson confirmed Ansell investigated MediCeram and other ceramic-former suppliers earlier this year and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards or comply with our supplier code of conduct”.
“Ansell has deliberately chosen not to walk away from the suppliers, including the supplier that is the subject of the AusNCP complaint,” the spokesperson said.
“We continue to engage with them closely to encourage their mitigation and remediation of the issues identified.”
The spokesperson said they would deal with the complaints process “in good faith”.
Mr Hall said that while MediCeram had agreed to repay the recruitment fees in instalments, the eight months it had to pay was “too lengthy”.
“Many workers have been excluded from the remediation package unfairly and irrationally by MediCeram, including repatriated and departed workers,” he said in the complaint.
He also accused Ansell of irresponsibly disengaging from MediCeram, contrary to OECD guidelines that state multinationals should work to fix problems at their suppliers rather than walking away.
Firm’s duty to prevent modern slavery, legal expert says
Ansell Mediceram workers’ August 2025 complaint letter to RBA’s Responsible Glove Alliance and remediation letter
Human Rights Law Centre associate legal director Freya Dinshaw, who sits on a board advising the government about such disputes, said the mechanism worked well when companies were willing to negotiate with complainants.
“It’s not a court, so ultimately they’re not binding, and that’s why Australia also needs to ensure that there are binding mechanisms to ensure that our companies do the right thing no matter where in the world they operate,” she said.
Ms Dinshaw said current Australian laws only require companies to report on the risks of modern slavery in their supply chain.Freya Dinshaw says Australian-based companies should be legally bound to avoid modern slavery no matter where they operate.
“Australian companies should have a duty to prevent modern slavery so that they’re legally required to investigate and address forced labour in their supply chains and face hard consequences where they don’t,” she said.
She said the importation of slave-made goods should also be banned.
The Albanese government committed to toughening Australian laws late last year but has not yet introduced legislation.Original remediation settlement
“They haven’t as yet committed to significantly strengthen the act by requiring companies to take action to address risks and as long as the act’s requirements are met by a tick box approach to addressing modern slavery, there are going to be companies that turn a blind eye to worker exploitation, even though they technically comply with the reporting requirements,” Ms Dinshaw said.
Past Mediceram Stories
Daily Star 8th Nov 2025:152 Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell gloves global supply chain) protest forced repatriation, appoint legal counsel
Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)
Daily Star 5th Nov 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, in Ansell’s global gloves supply chain, forcibly and involuntarily sends back 10 Bangladeshis
Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation
PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment
YTY/Mediceram statement 9th Sept 2025: Former Supplier Update
2nd July 2025 FMT: Workers at glove mould producer Mediceram back at work after successful talks
FMT 19th May 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram Glove Factory (supplying brands and buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove) threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi migrants amid strike, says activist
Daily Star 18th May 2025 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker at Mediceram Sdn Bhd Glove Company in Malaysia (supplying Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and other local and global gloves brands) faces deportation after speaking up on modern slavery and forced labour allegations
FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladeshi foreign workers in alleged situation of forced labour threaten to go on strike again at mould-making plant Mediceram
Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia
FMT 28th Mar 2025: Glove maker YTY says Malaysian ceramic mould supplier Mediceram may be involved in forced labour practices
28th Mar 2025: YTY Gloves Group Statement on Mediceram (Malaysian Ceramics Glove Former Supplier) Forced Labour Allegations
Past Related Malaysian Gloves and Modern Slavery Related Stories
26th Sept 2024: Former Malaysian gloves plant workers sue Kimberly-Clark. They allege abuse at company’s supplier Brightway
20th Sep 2023: CBP modifies withhold release order against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries
10th August 2022 Reuters: Ex-workers at Malaysian supplier sue Kimberly-Clark, Ansell over alleged labour abuse
10th August 2022: Ansell and Kimberly-Clark Sued in US Federal Court by Trafficking and Forced Labor Victims from Malaysian Glove Company
16th June 2022: My comment on Norway wealth fund putting Malaysia’s Supermax Corp under observation.
The Diplomat, April 4, 2022 – After Pressure, Growing Transparency in Malaysia’s Glove Industry
8th Feb 2022: Malaysia’s scandal-hit Supermax pays $6 million in compensation to migrant workers.
28th Dec 2021 Reuters: Ansell halts orders from Malaysian glove maker Brightway after US ban
The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2021 – Gloves off: Ansell under fire over “modern slavery” at Malaysian supplier
20th Dec 2021 Reuters: U.S. Customs bans fifth Malaysian glove maker Brightway over alleged forced labour
14th September 2021 – The Diplomat: Debt Bondage Payouts Flow to Workers in Malaysia’s Glove Industry
Reuters, September 10, 2021 – U.S. lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Top Glove over forced labour concerns
VOA, July 7, 2021 – Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows
Reuters, May 29, 2021: U.S. probes two Malaysian glove makers over forced labour allegations – report Reuters
20th May 2021 Reuters Insight: ‘Slavery’ found at a Malaysian glove factory. Why didn’t the auditor see it?
The Guardian, March 30, 2021 – US bars rubber gloves from Malaysian from due to ‘evidence of forced labour’
CNN, March 30, 2021 – US will seize all Top Glove imports after finding ‘sufficient evidence’ of forced labour
Reuters, March 30, 2021 – U.S. Customs says forced labour used at Malaysia’s Top Glove, to seize gloves
28th Dec 2020 Malay Mail: Human Resources Ministry – Brightway Holdings, two subsidiaries to face 30 charges over workers accommodation
21st Dec 2020: Malaysia: Hundreds of migrant workers subject to “squalid” onsite living conditions at glove manufacturers owned by Brightway Holdings; Incl. buyer responses
VOA, November 19, 2020 – After US Sanctions, Malaysia Migrant Workers Get Millions in Restitution from Glove Makers
CNN, September 11, 2020 – The world’s top suppliers of disposable gloves are thriving because of the pandemic. Their workers aren’t
VOA, July 17, 2020 – US Bars Imports from Top Rubber Glove Maker Amid COVID Surge
Newsroom, July 28, 2020 – Are your disposable gloves made using forced labour?
Reuters, July 16, 2020 – Amid virus crisis, U.S. bars imports of Malaysia’s Top Glove over labour issues
Associated Press (AP), March 4, 2020 – Key medical glove factories cutting staff 50% amid virus
VOA, October 11, 2019 – US Ban on Malaysian Glove Maker Highlights ‘Systemic’ Labor Abuse
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Why Human Rights Matter to Business?
Risky Business with Darian McBain: Asia
15th January 2024
Why Human Rights Matter to Business with Darian McBain – Interview with Andy Hall – Migrant Worker Rights Specialist
Asian business is changing. Customer demands, government regulations, stakeholder expectations, they are all evolving under the pressure of the environmental crisis. And even the most robust business models are starting to show cracks. But it’s through those cracks that opportunities arrive.
Do you know how to navigate this new normal?
Andy Hall is a human rights defender, a researcher/investigator and activist, and an independent specialist on migrant worker rights.
In this episode of Risky Business, Andy talks about how he uncovered – and helped to tackle – the problem of labour rights abuses in Malaysia’s latex glove industry.
Click HERE to listen
