- Amnesty International reported exploitation of migrant workers at Carrefour in Saudi Arabia.
- Workers faced deception, excessive hours, denied days off, and poor living conditions.
- Carrefour acknowledged issues but said its internal investigation didn’t confirm all allegations.
- The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for worker abuse.
Carrefour has informed AFP that an internal investigation has not confirmed most of the allegations regarding labor practices but is planning to conduct an external review. This response follows a report from Amnesty International detailing the exploitation of migrant workers associated with Carrefour’s Saudi Arabian franchisee.
Amnesty’s report indicates that migrant workers were deceived by recruitment agents, forced to work excessive hours without adequate days off, cheated out of their earnings, and made to live in deplorable conditions. Marta Schaaf, head of Amnesty International’s corporate accountability program, expressed that many workers believed they were opening the door to better opportunities, only to face severe exploitation and abuse.
Schaaf emphasized that Carrefour’s inaction contributed to the suffering of these workers, with some experiencing conditions that amounted to forced labor and human trafficking. This highlights a significant responsibility for Carrefour to ensure that labor abuses do not occur across its operations, including its franchises.
The findings from Amnesty’s report were based on interviews with 17 workers recruited from India, Nepal, and Pakistan to work in Carrefour stores in Saudi Arabia, operated by the French retailer’s Middle East franchisee, Majid Al Futtaim (MAF). Amnesty called on both Carrefour and MAF to remedy the situation and ensure the protection of workers in their operations.
In response, Carrefour stated that discussions had taken place with Amnesty earlier this year regarding labor conditions in Saudi Arabia, and they had requested MAF to conduct an investigation. Carrefour noted that preliminary investigations did not confirm the allegations raised by Amnesty but did uncover other issues related to housing, training, and work hour accounting, prompting corrective actions.
Additionally, Carrefour announced the appointment of an external expert to review the human rights situation within its operations, with an assessment methodology currently being determined. This move is part of their effort to address the issues raised and ensure compliance with labor standards.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources reiterated its zero-tolerance policy for worker abuse, stating that any form of labor exploitation is unacceptable. The ministry emphasized that allegations of this nature are thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities and highlighted its collaboration with the governments of migrant workers’ home countries to combat abusive recruitment practices. However, the ministry did not specifically address the allegations made by Amnesty against Carrefour. Majid Al Futtaim manages nearly 500 Carrefour stores across 30 countries, with Saudi Arabia being its second largest market after the UAE, generating significant revenue.
