Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
British brand of vacuums and carpet washers.
There's no proof Vax pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Vax? Send a right of reply.
Compare Vax with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are Techtronic Industries' countries across all its brands; Vax doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Hong Kong | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Low |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
Research notes TTI says most products it sells in Australia, including Vax, come from TTI-owned factories in China, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam, with the rest outsourced to suppliers in countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar and Poland; no shares or factory list are given. Owned sites have independent SEDEX (SMETA) audits and TTI is a Responsible Business Alliance member, but no audit results, wage data or living wage commitment are published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by the joint 2025 statement of Techtronic Industries Australia and Vax Appliances (Australia); it names production countries but reports no audit findings or cases. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Vax Ltd publishes a UK modern slavery statement for 2025 citing SMETA and BSCI audits and RBA membership, with no findings or wage information. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports; its Good Shopping Guide rates TTI Australia (Vax, Hoover, Dirt Devil) C overall (updated August 2026). View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Group-level, not Vax products: in April 2024 US Customs blocked work gloves from Shanghai Select Safety Products, a reported maker of TTI's Milwaukee-branded gloves, over signs of prison labour; a former prisoner's US lawsuit was dismissed on jurisdiction grounds in December 2025 and is on appeal (CBP 2024; Bloomberg Law 2025). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Techtronic Industries Australia - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · TTI Australia distributes Vax, Hoover, Dirt Devil; RBA and RMI member; overall rating C
- CBP issues Withhold Release Order on Shanghai Select Safety Products and its subsidiaries · search the archive · April 2024 import ban on gloves from a Milwaukee Tool supplier over convict labour indications
- Vax vacuum cleaners - The Good Guys · search the archive · Vax vacuums sold by The Good Guys, an Australian chain with physical stores
Published by Vax or its owner
- Techtronic Industries Australia and Vax Appliances (Australia) - Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Most products from TTI-owned factories in CN, DE, HK, TW, TH, US, VN; rest outsourced; SEDEX audits; no findings or wage data
- Vax Ltd Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · Vax owned by TTI; owned sites SMETA audited, suppliers SMETA or BSCI; TTI is an RBA member; no wage information
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Vax ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/vax, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded appliances
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Vax.