Meta and Uber among firms ‘linked’ to alleged corporate migrant worker abuse

Meta, Uber and Deliveroo are among the firms that have been linked to cases of alleged abuse against migrant workers last year, according to an analysis.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), a non-government organisation, gathered publicly documented information from NGOs, governments and the media between January and December 2024.

It found 665 cases and 489 named companies linked to cases, which also included Carrefour, Aramco, Giorgio Armani, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Toyota, Samsung and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

At least 218 migrant workers were reported to have died from alleged corporate abuse or neglect in the past year.

Of these, 71 cases were linked to breaches in occupational health and safety standards.

The research also found the gig economy to be linked to a growing number of cases with companies like Uber and Deliveroo repeatedly associated with allegations of abuse using gig workers.

Mega-events and giga-projects, such as the 2024 Paris Olympics and Saudi projects like the Line city in the region of Neon, presented particularly intense risks to migrants and migrant construction workers, according to the BHRRC.

Meanwhile, the sector with the highest number of reported deaths was manufacturing, with 44 across 15 cases, including seven factory explosions, the research found.

Isobel Archer, BHRRC’s senior researcher in labour and migrant worker rights, said: “The reported cases we have tracked are almost certainly only the tip of the iceberg.

“We continue to see resilience among migrant workers fighting for and demanding their rights in the most egregious conditions, and the onus is on companies to right these wrongs. Some of the world’s biggest brands are also the world’s worst offenders.

“These companies must safeguard the rights of the migrant workers who are being exploited in service of profit and, at the least, remedy those harms that have already occurred.”

A Deliveroo spokesperson said: “Deliveroo is committed to providing the flexible work riders value, along with attractive earnings and protections, such as sickness cover, insurance and training opportunities.

“Rider retention rates are high and the overwhelming majority of riders tell us that they are satisfied working with us. We listen to riders and always closely examine any issue raised.”

John Lewis said the two cases it was linked to in the analysis were associated with an ongoing investigation at a factory in Jordan, which does not supply its own brand products but two brands widely stocked at a number of retailers.

An M&S Spokesperson: “We do everything we can to protect the people who work in our supply chains with a zero-tolerance policy for exploitation or abuse of human rights.

“We take any allegation of this nature very seriously, immediately investigating with our suppliers and acting swiftly to ensure the welfare of workers in our supply chain is protected.”

Sophie De Salis, sustainability policy adviser at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Protecting the welfare of people in supply chains is crucial to our members’ practices, and allegations of labour exploitation are taken extremely seriously.

“When issues are identified, retailers investigate promptly and take swift action.

“In addition to this, we urge the UK Government to introduce Mandatory Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (MHREDD) to encourage greater transparency and more stringent due diligence and create a level playing field for all businesses.”

The PA news agency contacted Meta, Uber, Carrefour, Aramco, Giorgio Armani, Toyota, Samsung and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) for comment.