Workers at Leisure Clothing told the General Workers’ Union they had never witnessed any Asian workers being abused.

Earlier this week the police arrested the director of the Chinese-owned clothing firm as part of an investigation into exploitation of workers and human trafficking.

The factory employs just under 300 Chinese nationals who were allegedly attracted to Malta with a promise of high wages.

In a statement this morning, the GWU called on the management of the company not to remain silent on the allegations of slavery and inhuman conditions faced by the company’s Asian workers.

It said it not only categorically condemned the exploitation of workers but constantly worked against it.

However, the company’s representatives of the workers told the union’s central administration this morning that they never saw any Asian workers treated badly or in an inhuman or degrading manner.

The same statement was also made by all the company’s workers during a meeting yesterday with union’s section secretary Paul Bugeja, the union said.

It said that, inn spite of this, it ouraged the police to continue with their investigations so that if such abuse was really being implemented, those responsible would pay for their actions.

The union said it would continue to follow the case closely to ensure that workers’ rights were safeguarded.