Munich-based MAN Truck & Bus, part of the Traton Group owned by German automotive giant Volkswagen, has terminated its supply contract tire from a Chinese company's factory Linglong in Zrenjanin.
This happened due to allegations of "human rights violations" during the construction of the factory, write BIRN and the German newspaper Store Manager.
"We take the allegations of human rights violations in this context very seriously, and due to these suspicions, we stopped all orders from that supplier at the end of November," the MAN company stated.
But Volkswagen itself is still massively purchasing tires from Linglong and is still "considering" the situation.
As "Vreme" recently revealed in a major investigation, the giants of the German auto industry received a number of complaints about the violation of workers' rights at their plants in Serbia and considered ending cooperation.
It is not only Linglong, but also factories for the production of automotive cables Jura and Leoni.
German companies are obliged by the German Supply Chain Act to ensure that their suppliers - anywhere in the world - respect human rights.
What's the problem with Linglong?
"Vreme" had an insight into the complaints of the Belgrade-based non-governmental organization ASTRA, which first reported slave labor conditions in Linglong in Zrenjanin to Volkswagen in 2022, before the law came into force.
Foreign workers' passports were confiscated there, and the Chinese investor behaves as if that part of Serbia belongs to him.
Volkswagen's terse response to Vreme said it was not going into "individual potential" allegations affecting its suppliers.
They claim, however, that they react to all indications seriously and quickly, stating that this is also the case with Linglong. But what was specifically done - they don't say. Linglong, a major tire manufacturer, ignored the "Times" query. The photographer was denied a request to enter and photograph the facility due to company policy and "current circumstances."
Mercedes is reportedly looking into the circumstances of the Jura
We also had an insight into the correspondence of the Independent Union of Metalworkers of Serbia with Mercedes and Audi, which was conducted from June to September of this year.
Trade unionists write that in Jura in Leskovac, the right to union assembly is systematically violated, that workers are exhausted and paid desperately, that they are exposed to dangerous chemicals, that the company violated the right to strike by hiring additional workers to replace the strikers.
The correspondence was confirmed to us by both German car giants. Audi says they are "checking the circumstances" in the Jura, and Mercedes said they took the matter seriously and "forced the delivery man to provide an explanation."
"In addition, we engaged an independent audit firm to conduct an internationally recognized sustainability assessment." The procedure has not yet been completed," stated "Mercedes" in the answers in October.
BMW made a similar claim due to workers' complaints about conditions in Leoni in Prokuplje. They state that, after "Vremen"'s inquiry, they took the accusations made by the workers seriously and asked Leoni for an explanation.
Zero penalties
However, for now, Volkswagen's daughter company is the only one that has suspended cooperation with a factory from Serbia.
During the research, "Vreme" also contacted the German Federal Institute for Economy and Export Control (BAFA), which is in charge of implementing the law.
They then stated that during the almost two years of application of the law, they received 221 complaints from all over the world, and that the three they received were related to Serbia. The vast majority of complaints were dismissed, and 60 remain active.
However, BAFA has yet to issue a single penalty.
Admittedly, this number does not include direct complaints to companies for which no single statistics exist.
The issue of the law on supply chains will be of increasing importance because a similar law has been adopted at the EU level and states are obliged to implement it by July 2026 at the latest.
This means that all (larger) companies based in the EU will have to make sure that their suppliers - say from Serbia - respect the human rights of their employees.
