Electrolux / AEG
Partly verifiedElectrolux / AEG raises serious concerns: there are documented abuses of workers, and workers in the countries homewares, furniture & appliances usually comes from, such as China and Vietnam are very unlikely to earn a living wage. In 2012-2013 Electrolux's Rayong washing machine factory in Thailand suspended union leaders and dismissed more than 100 union members after a wage dispute, as reported by IndustriALL, IF Metall, Swedwatch and GoodElectronics.
Last researched 7 October 2026
Not doing enough. Workers in the supply chain are likely underpaid, unprotected or in danger, and in the worst cases face forced or child labour. Look for a better-graded alternative. What this grade means
Good: 2 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 1 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 3
- Does not pay a living wage
- Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Hidden or unaudited supply chain (no certification or documentation, or major production in countries with poor worker rights without independent audits)
Where it's made: not disclosed
Showing where homewares, furniture & appliances products are usually made instead.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China 50% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India 10% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | High |
| Poland 10% | Some protections | Slightly below a living wage | Low |
| Indonesia 8% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malaysia 7% | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- Timber, cotton textiles and ceramics carry moderate raw-material risk; illegal logging is linked to forced labour in some regions.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
- Proves a living wage for part of its supply chain only
Electrolux makes AEG and Electrolux appliances in about 40 of its own factories worldwide, including in Italy, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Thailand, China and Brazil, but does not publish how much is made in each country or a supplier list. It runs a responsible sourcing audit programme for higher-risk suppliers, with a minority of audits done by third parties, and in 2022 found three supplier cases of withheld wages that it required to be fixed. It has a global framework agreement on union rights with IF Metall and IndustriALL, and reports that since 2024 no direct employee is paid below a WageIndicator living wage benchmark, though this does not cover supplier factories.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Found | Electrolux lodges modern slavery statements on the Australian register, including a 2022 group statement. View ↗ |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Found | Electrolux's group statement on slavery and human trafficking is lodged on the UK registry. View ↗ |
| KnowTheChain | Unclear | Electrolux does not appear in the KnowTheChain benchmark summaries checked. View ↗ |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Unclear | Electrolux does not appear among published Corporate Human Rights Benchmark results checked. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Found | Electrolux has a company page tracking human rights reports about the company; the main labour case on record is the 2013 dismissal of union members in Thailand, reported by GoodElectronics and IndustriALL. View ↗ |
Confirmed issues
Problems confirmed by a court, regulator, completed investigation or the company itself. Issues more than 15 years old, or 10–15 years old where the company made amends, are removed. Problems a company finds and publishes itself, and is fixing, are shown but don't count against it.
| When | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | In 2012-2013 Electrolux's Rayong washing machine factory in Thailand suspended union leaders and dismissed more than 100 union members after a wage dispute, as reported by IndustriALL, IF Metall, Swedwatch and GoodElectronics. | Partly Electrolux agreed with Swedish union IF Metall in 2013 to reinstate dismissed workers and later pledged to reinstate suspended union leaders and drop court cases, but unions reported most dismissed wo |
Sources (11)
- Electrolux Group – Modern Slavery Statement 2022 (Australian register) · archived copy · 40 factories on all continents, 51,000 employees, over 1,700 direct material suppliers; 306 supplier audits in 2022, 90 by third parties; 18 high-risk countries incl. Brazil, China, Egypt, Mexico, Rom
- Electrolux Sustainability Report 2020 – Risk countries · archived copy · Electrolux manufacturing facilities in risk countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Thailand and Ukraine.
- Electrolux Sustainability Report 2020 – Auditing and monitoring · archived copy · Own factories assessed through internal Workplace Policy audits and self-assessments; responsible sourcing audits of medium and high-risk direct suppliers; third-party operated ethics helpline.
- Manufacturing Today – Electrolux Europe (2007) · archived copy · European manufacturing concentrated in Italy, Poland and Hungary.
- WageIndicator – From Pilot to Policy: Inside Electrolux's Global Living Wage Rollout (2025) · archived copy · Living wage benchmarking of own workforce across 230+ locations in 55+ countries from 2024; 2024 sustainability statement reports no employees paid below the benchmark; covers direct operations only.
- IndustriALL – International Framework Agreement signed with Electrolux (2010) · archived copy · Framework agreement signed 13 December 2010 with IF Metall referencing ILO Conventions 87 and 98, with a companion commitment not to support union busting.
- IndustriALL – IndustriALL and IF Metall working for solution at Electrolux Thailand (2013) · archived copy · Union formed at Rayong factory in 2011 was persecuted; workers detained and dismissed in January 2013; February 2013 agreement to reinstate all dismissed workers not implemented by local management.
- OECD Watch – Swedwatch vs. Electrolux · archived copy · 2013 OECD complaint over violations of freedom of association at Electrolux Thailand; Swedish NCP rejected it citing ongoing dialogue; by June 2014 no union representation remained.
- Asia Australia Workers Links – Electrolux workers in Thailand claim partial victory (2013) · archived copy · 129 union members and leaders dismissed in early 2013; company pledged to reinstate suspended union leaders and withdraw court cases; most dismissed workers not reinstated.
- GoodElectronics – Swedish Electrolux under fire for unfair dismissal of unionists in Thailand · archived copy · Independent reporting of the dismissal of union members at Electrolux Thailand.
- UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry – Electrolux Group Statement on slavery and human trafficking 2023 · archived copy · Electrolux group statement lodged on the UK registry.
Last researched 7 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.