11 August 2022 – Thirteen former employees of one of Ansell’s finished goods suppliers in Malaysia, Brightway Group, have sued Ansell and Kimberly-Clark (KC) seeking to certify a class of Brightway workers and alleging that Brightway engaged in forced labour practices and that Ansell and KC should be held legally responsible for Brightway’s own actions and workplace conditions. These former Brightway employees have alleged that, through their purchases of products from Brightway, Ansell and KC benefitted from Brightway’s labour practices in violation of a United States statute called the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which under certain circumstances prohibits the knowing receipt of benefits derived from participation in a venture engaged in forced labour practices. It is Ansell’s view that the lawsuit is without merit and the company intends to defend it accordingly.

Brightway is an independent third-party who has manufactured and supplied finished goods to Ansell, KC and other purchasers, and is one of thousands of direct Ansell suppliers located in more than 25 countries.

Ansell condemns all human rights violations, including the use of forced and child labour and is committed to actively identifying and addressing violations of labour rights within our supply chain. Ansell upholds strict standards on human rights as outlined in our Supplier Code of Conduct and Modern Slavery commitments. As part of this framework, Ansell requires suppliers to not use or condone the use of forced or involuntary labour.

To learn more about our Supplier Management Framework and Ansell’s efforts to lead our industry in social responsibility, read our 2021 Sustainability Report and our 2021 Modern Slavery Statement.

ENDS