Call to defend labour rights in medical gloves industry

  The medical profession must take action to counter the abuse of labour rights in the medical gloves industry, a new BMA report has warned. The report, In Good Hands, highlights the extent of workplace abuses within the medical glove-making industry, particularly in factories based in south-east Asia. It concludes that it is incumbent on health providers in the developed world to monitor working conditions and address unethical practices taking place within the supply chains of the medical goods they are purchasing. It says: ‘A number of reports in recent years have documented labour rights abuse in several of the largest medical glove-manufacturing units, particularly in Malaysia and Thailand. ‘Workers are often asked to pay extortionate fees to join the factory — they work long hours with limited rest, their passports are often confiscated, they are offered poor standards of accommodation. There are [also] anti-union activities, and there is a lack of awareness of safety, particularly relating to risk of fire. ‘Based upon this evidence, it seems that exploitation of workers is endemic within the medical gloves manufacturing industry. The procurement of medical gloves must therefore be considered a high-risk product in terms of labour rights abuses.’ Medical glove manufacturing is a multi-billion pound global industry with about 150 billion pairs of gloves produced each year.     Latest research Published to coincide with NHS S...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news