The Price of Work: A Brief on Widespread Migrant Worker Recruitment Fees in Taiwan’s Manufacturing Sectors
Summary
Date Reported: 25 Feb 2025
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Johnson Controls - Employer , Hitachi (part of Hitachi Group) - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 30 - Vietnam , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Documented migrants ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 350 - Philippines , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Documented migrants )Issues
Recruitment FeesResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Transparentem
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The two companies in the joint venture "reacted immediately" to Transparentem's findings and within three months their joint venture reported it had reimbursed all current worker, and later several former workers. They said the reimbursement provided was calculated by using the highest amount reported to JCI-Hitachi regardless of receipts or other documentation from workers. Monthly service fees paid by workers to brokers were reimbursed too.
Source type: NGO
Summary
Date Reported: 25 Feb 2025
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Hantic Precision Technology - Employer , Meiko Electronics - Buyer , Bosch - Buyer , Denso - Buyer , ASE Technology Holding - Reported buyer , Continental AG - Reported buyer , Panasonic - Reported buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 68 - Vietnam , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Documented migrants )Issues
Recruitment FeesResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Transparentem
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Meiko Electronics, Bosch and Denso confirmed Hantic was part of their supply chains. Within three months they reported that Hantic had implemented a zero-free policy and Hantic said it would reimburse workers beginning in mid-2025.
Source type: NGO
Summary
Date Reported: 25 Feb 2025
Location: Taiwan
Companies
VF Corporation - Buyer , Hugo Boss - Buyer , Singtex - Partner , GFUN Industrial (part of Singtex) - Employer , Helly Hansen - Reported buyerAffected
Total individuals affected: 200
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 60 - Vietnam , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Documented migrants )Issues
Recruitment FeesResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Transparentem
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Singtex, GFUN's parent company, VF and Hugo Boss replied to Transparentem. One week after Transparentem’s outreach, workers were no longer charged monthly service fees by brokers, as confirmed by Singtex and workers. In January 2025, Singtex, VF, and Hugo Boss said that reimbursement of recruitment fees was in progress but not yet completed.
Source type: NGO
Summary
Date Reported: 25 Feb 2025
Location: Taiwan
Companies
Accton Technology - Buyer , Amazon.com - Buyer , Broadcom - Reported buyer , Festool - Reported buyer , Promise Technology - Reported buyer , Sony - Reported buyer , Gianta - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: 400
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Vietnam , Manufacturing: General , Gender not reported , Documented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Retention of identity documents , Freedom of Movement , Restricted mobility , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Wage TheftResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Transparentem
External link to response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Gianta, Accton Technology and Amazon responded immediately to Transparentem’s findings. Accton Technology confirmed the direct supplier relation to Gianta. In December 2024, Amazon advised Transparentem that it had investigated the matter and could not confirm a supply chain relationship with Gianta. Subsequently, workers gave photos to Transparentem of motherboards (computer components consisting of the main panel of circuits) with Amazon’s name and the logo and the name of its subsidiary, Annapurna Labs. Transparentem described these photos to Amazon in early January 2025, leading Amazon to reopen its consideration of this matter. On February 6, 2025, Amazon confirmed that Accton, which sourced from Gianta, provides “support” to Amazon’s subsidiary, Annapurna Labs.
Source type: NGO
...In 2024, Transparentem investigators interviewed 22 migrant workers from Vietnam employed by four textile, electronics, and appliance suppliers in Taiwan. Our investigation found evidence of high recruitment fees paid by workers, in most cases requiring them to take loans, which put migrant workers at risk of debt bondage, which the International Labour Organization (ILO) has recognized as an indicator of forced labor. Transparentem found evidence of other labor abuses at one of the suppliers.
From June to September 2024, Transparentem sent reports to the four manufacturers (see table below) and 21 buyers with possible supply chain connections to them. The reports presented evidence of labor abuses and recommended actions that manufacturers and buyers should take to correct and remedy harm. We were encouraged that all four manufacturers and several buyers opted to take action to address the problems Transparentem found, including planning for reimbursement of recruitment fees and related costs at all four manufacturers, according to their reports. One of the buyers has already reimbursed an estimated $1.5 million to workers, and Transparentem expects significant additional amounts to be repaid to workers in the coming months...