The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a $5 million cooperative agreement to Social Accountability International (SAI) to prevent and reduce forced labor and child labor abuses in the Malaysian palm oil and garment industries.
The Malaysian palm oil sector is committed to the mission of strong labor policies, practices and enforcement of these standards required for the international community, our customers and stakeholders.
We are fully supportive of the project announced by the U.S. Department of Labor, and commit to working with Social Accountability International and their partners to deliver the aims of this important project.
The Malaysian palm oil sector is committed to leading on this issue; not waiting for others to act.
In that spirit, the Malaysian Palm Oil Association launched last week the Responsible Employment Charter, which commits Malaysia’s major palm growers to a binding set of commitments on labour rights. The Charter includes a commitment to eradicating forced labour, no retention of passports, end to recruitment fees, and a commitment to support labor unions.
We look forward to working with SAI and all other interested stakeholders to make further progress on our shared objectives.
To read the announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor, read here.