Court of Appeal Allows Case to Proceed in London

In a significant ruling, the Court of Appeal in London has allowed a lawsuit brought by two dozen migrant workers against British vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson to proceed in the UK. The workers, who allege they were subjected to forced labour at a Malaysian factory, had initially been told they could only sue in Malaysia.

The 24 workers, from Nepal and Bangladesh, were employed by Malaysian firm ATA Industrial or its sister company, and were responsible for making components for Dyson products. Their legal team claims that the workers had money unlawfully deducted from their wages and were sometimes beaten for failing to meet demanding targets.

Dyson's Denial and Legal Options

Dyson, whose Malaysian subsidiary cancelled its contract with ATA in 2021, denies all allegations and had argued that the lawsuit should be heard in Malaysia. The company, founded by inventor James Dyson, employs around 2,500 people in Britain, including at its R&D centre in Malmesbury, west England.

The Court of Appeal's decision to allow the case to proceed in London overturns a previous High Court ruling. Dyson has stated that it disagrees with the appeal decision and is reviewing its legal options.