A North Korean laborer has filed a landmark criminal complaint against a Dutch shipbuilding company that allegedly profited from the abuse of workers in its supply chain in Poland and was aware of the "slave-like conditions," lawyers said on Thursday.
A law firm representing the worker — who has not been named, for his safety — has asked the Netherlands' public prosecutor to file a case against a shipbuilder that it says knowingly benefited by buying items that were cheaper due to the use of forced labor.
The legal action — revealed exclusively by the Thomson Reuters Foundation — could pile pressure on other companies in the Netherlands and beyond that profit from modern slavery in their global operations, according to lawyers and activists.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.