Dyson, the maker of electronics appliances, has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed against it by 24 migrant workers, who alleged they were subjected to forced labor and abusive treatment in a Malaysian factory that made the firm’s parts.
BBC News reports that the workers, from Nepal and Bangladesh, sued the firm in 2022 and described being subject to what amounted to modern day slavery.
Dyson has denied any liability, saying it had been previously unaware of the alleged abuses, and that the Malaysian supplier should be held responsible instead.
The case represents an important precedent, giving plaintiffs with allegations against foreign companies supplying British manufacturers the right to be heard in an English court.
Among the abuses the workers described were being threatened and beaten, having their passports withheld, and being forced to work long hours in unsanitary conditions without toilet breaks.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.