But a Dyson spokesperson said: “This opportunistic claim by Leigh Day, on behalf of 24 of ATA’s employees, should be brought against their employer, ATA, in Malaysia and against its Malaysian managers who are named in the claim as the perpetrators.
“ATA, the employer of the 24 workers, is a substantial company, publicly listed in Malaysia, operating under the supervision of its management, and under the control of its majority shareholders on its Board.
“ATA manufactures products for a variety of brands in its Malaysian factories, not just Dyson.
“Having been left with no alternative, Dyson terminated its contract with ATA in November 2021.
“This is the ultimate sanction that any business has over a third-party supplier even though that action may regrettably jeopardise thousands of jobs in Malaysia.”
In separate developments, Malaysian authorities charged ATA with four violations of labour law related to the worker accommodation and were investigating complaints of forced labour, Reuters previously reported.
ATA has claimed all overtime was voluntary and that it paid higher wages on Sundays and public holidays.
Police also launched an investigation into claims one of the company’s former workers was beaten after being taken into custody.
The worker was reportedly questioned about sharing information on working conditions with activists, however ATA has dismissed the account as “unlikely to have taken place”.
