Linglong rebuffs “old news” allegations around Serbian project

Zrenjanin, Serbia – Linglong Tire Europe has issued a statement in response to media reports that a supply contract with truck maker MAN has been halted due to alleged human rights issues during the construction of its tire factory in Serbia.

Both MAN and parent group VW have supplied statements confirming the ending of a delivery call-off from a factory in Serbia due to alleged human rights issues – without giving details of the supplier or the allegations.

In its 19 Dec statement, Linglong insisted that all allegations are “old news and all the facts are twisted and crafted to make fake news and damage our reputation.”

The issue, it said, relates to the recruitment of Vietnamese workers for the Zrenjanin site by a contractor and its subcontractors – under a contract which was terminated in September 2022.

These workers were fully paid and well looked after, with all their human rights protected under employment conditions that fully met the requirements of Serbian law, according to the statement.

Furthermore, Linglong pointed out that on 12 Nov 2021, when allegations were first made about subcontracted workers’ living conditions, it took immediate action to resolve the situation – working with Serbian government and Vietnamese embassy officials.

Linglong dismissed NGO claims that it ‘hired Vietnamese and Indian workers from CEEC TEPC’ (China Energy Engineering Group – Tianjin Electric Power Construction) as “not true.”

The statement went on to list of a series actions since taken to develop the ESG performance of all Linglong group subsidiaries, including requirements on suppliers & contractors in terms of workers rights, environmental protection and sustainability.

Linglong also cited a recent Responsible Supply China Initiative (RSCI) audit carried out by TUV Rheinland at its Serbian tire plant as confirming its adherence to international standards on human rights, environmental practices and compliance.

RSCI is a voluntary standard introduced by the automotive industry to promote transparency on social and ecological compliance within the supply-chain, and includes assessment of labour rights and health & safety conditions.

Read the full Linglong statement