British court revives Malaysian workers’ lawsuit against Dyson, Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) – Two dozen migrant workers who claim they were subjected to forced labor at a Malaysian factory while making parts for British vacuum cleaner maker Dyson can sue the company in London, the Court of Appeal ruled on Friday.

24 workers from Nepal and Bangladesh, one of whom died and whose estate brought the case, sued Dison Technology Ltd, Dison Ltd and a Malaysian subsidiary in 2022.

The plaintiffs were employees of the Malaysian firm ATA Industrial or its sister company and made components for Dyson products.

Their lawyers say the workers had money illegally deducted from their wages and were sometimes beaten for failing to meet tough targets, arguing in a lawsuit at the High Court in London that the Dyson companies were ultimately responsible.

Dyson, whose Malaysian subsidiary canceled its contract with ATA in 2021, denies the plaintiffs’ allegations and maintains that any action should be brought in Malaysia, not Britain.

Last year, the High Court dismissed the case and ruled that the workers could sue in Malaysia.

But the Court of Appeal overturned that decision, saying in a written judgment that London was “clearly and clearly the appropriate forum” to hear the cases.

“This was a procedural hearing to determine where the main case will ultimately be heard,” a Dyson spokesman said.

“The High Court was right last year to consider carefully the decision that he should be heard in Malaysia and we disagree with today’s decision on the appeal,” the spokesman added, explaining that Deason was considering his legal options.

The company – founded by James Dyson, the inventor of the bagless cleaner – employs around 2,500 people in Britain, including at its research and development center in Malmesbury, western England, after announcing in July that it was cutting around 1,000 jobs.