Since it was opened, the Chinese company Linglong causes numerous controversies in Zrenjanin. Workers from Vietnam as far back as 2021 claimed they were exposed to conditions indicative of human trafficking and labor exploitation. The factory had just been built at that time. Later, similar applications were submitted by workers from India and Bangladesh.
United States they stopped imports tires from this factory due to allegations of violation of workers' rights.
Despite all that, the company announces new investments, they are mentioned new government subsidies, and the first man of the Serbian Government Đuro Macut he said on Thursday (June 11), during his visit to this company, that it is a symbol of the strategic partnership between Serbia and China.
In the conversation with the management of the company, he pointed out that the largest greenfield investment was realized in Serbia, which changed the economic image of Zrenjanin and significantly contributed to the economic strength of Serbia.
Macut also said that Linglong represents one of the most important foreign investors in Serbia, and that thanks to this project, Zrenjanin is positioned as one of the key industrial points for Chinese investors in Serbia, the Government announced.
The president of the Linglong company, Wang Feng, thanked the prime minister and the ministers for their visit and support for the development of the factory and said that the company will continue to take care of development, further investment, safety and respect for human rights.
As he stated, the company currently employs 2.100 people, invests in their training and development, and with the upcoming phase of development of Linglong in Serbia, the number of employees could increase to 2.600.
Photo: Zrenjanin Social ForumHow are the workers' rights to leasing threatened?
Charges accompanying the investment
Behind the official assessments of a successful investment and strategic partnership, however, accusations of violating the labor rights of foreign workers engaged in the construction and operation of the factory have been pouring in for years.
Linglong's investment came into the public spotlight in late 2021, when human rights organizations and domestic activists raised concerns about the conditions in which Vietnamese workers lived and worked.
In the following years, allegations of workers from India and Bangladesh appeared about problematic contracts, work through intermediary agencies, long shifts and other forms of labor exploitation. Because of those reports, non-governmental organizations and trade unions repeatedly warned about possible elements of forced labor.
Certain cases ended up before the competent institutions, while organizations dealing with the protection of human rights indicated that a large number of applications did not receive a final judicial conclusion. At the beginning of this year, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Zrenjanin announced that it was verifying the allegations from the criminal complaint related to human trafficking and the violation of the rights of workers from Bangladesh.
Controversies gained an international dimension when the United States suspended the import of tires produced in Linglong's factory in Serbia due to suspicions that forms of forced labor were used in the production chain.
Photo: Tanjug / Sava RadovanovićTires from Linglong
New investments despite accusations
Recently, news also arrived that Linglong plans to expand the tire factory in Zrenjanin and hiring between 400 and 800 new workers, with the expectation of new state employees subsidy.
The mayor of Zrenjanin, Simo Salapura, said that Linglong is planning to expand its production capacity to an additional 70 hectares within the industrial zone Jugoistok, previously reported by Biznis.rs.
"Linglong signed the protocol on the expansion to 70 hectares and currently their business plans are being considered by the Development Agency of Serbia, after which a decision will be made under which conditions the state will support the investment," Salapura said.
The land on which the expansion is planned is owned by the city of Zrenjanin, while the Chinese investor expects a new package of state subsidies.
The company started production in 2024, and received about 70 million euros in subsidies and approximately 100 hectares of land for the initial investment.
Source: Vreme/FoNet
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