The Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin and Chamber of Commerce have both condemned human trafficking and exploitation of workers alleged to have been taking place at the Chinese-owned company Leisure Clothing.

Their statements were issued following the arrest on Tuesday of a director of the company, which operates from the Bulebel industrial estate. The police are investigating the claims.

The story was broken by iI-Mument last weekend, a newspaper owned by the Nationalist Party, which reported that Asian workers were being conned into accepting jobs in Malta only to end up working in appalling conditions for long hours.

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry said the rights of workers, irrespective of their nationality, must be safeguarded in their own interest and in the interest of the common good.

The rights of workers, irrespective of their nationality, must be safeguarded

It welcomed the action by the authorities and expressed fear the case “might tarnish the reputation of the local manufacturing industry and business in general”.

In its own statement, the UĦM said working conditions imposed at Leisure Clothing were “a classic case of precarious employment”.

It called on all the unions to come together and condemn what was going on at the factory.

The UĦM said it was closely following the case and hoped the authorities would take all the necessary action as required by law and in all cases of precarious employment.

The government is also probing the matter.

The case first came to the police’s attention on July 29 when three employees were caught fleeing with counterfeit documents.

On August 21, a case was filed in court against the employer for failing to pay wages, bonuses, weekly allowances, overtime and on issues of outstanding vacation leave. The amounts being claimed total more than €15,000.