First Solar unveils unethical recruitment in Malaysia manufacturing facility

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Worker-paid recruitment fees and unlawful retention of wages are some of the issues identified in its Malaysian manufacturing facility. Image: First Solar.

US thin-film solar PV manufacturer First Solar has disclosed unethical labour practices at its factory in Malaysia.

In its latest sustainability report, First Solar said four onsite service providers in Malaysia had employed foreign migrant workers who were subjected to unethical recruitment, including worker-paid recruitment fees, unlawful retention of wages, passport retention for safekeeping, employment terms not communicated in native language, and inadequate management system and policy.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

In response to these behaviours, the management of the company said the service providers had returned all passports and unlawfully retained wages to the workers and updated their policies to prevent future fees. First Solar is working with its onsite service providers to ensure the recruitment fees are reimbursed to their current and former employees.

Other findings at its manufacturing facility in Malaysia included working hours exceeding 60 hours per week due to voluntary overtime. After knowing the situation, First Solar tracked weekly hours of work to ensure that hours worked in a workweek did not exceed 60 hours. It also ensured at least one day
off in every seven days of work.

“We highlight this information openly, not only because of our commitment to transparency and responsible solar, but also to raise awareness of modern slavery risks that hide in plain sight and to illustrate the value of an independent third-party social audit conducted in a credible, comprehensive
manner,” said First Solar CEO Mark Widmar.

According to the sustainability report, First Solar deliberately chose a credible independent third-party audit programme with a track record of being applied across various industries.

Read Next

September 11, 2025
Founder Group has won a RM10 million (US$2.3 million) engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract for a 30MW solar plant in Malaysia.
September 4, 2025
US polysilicon company Highland Materials has aimed to begin construction at its polysilicon plant in the second half of 2026.
August 31, 2025
Renewables developer and independent power producer (IPP) TagEnergy has acquired Australian developer ACE Power, adding 6GW of renewable energy and storage projects to its portfolio.
August 26, 2025
Malaysian clean energy solutions company Gentari Renewables has partnered with Malaysian engineering and infrastructure giant Gamuda to build a solar-plus-storage portfolio in their home country.
August 20, 2025
Blueleaf Energy has signed an MoU with Chemsain Sustainability to explore a portfolio of up to 3GW of solar PV and BESS in Malaysia.
August 12, 2025
Australia’s New South Wales has increased its renewable energy targets to 16GW of new clean power generation by 2030 and 42GWh of long-duration energy storage (LDES) by 2034.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines