Promoting Human, Land & Labour Right: Grievance Mechanism

All workers across our operations are given access to grievance redressal channels and confidential reporting mechanisms.

Several grievance channels have been in place for many years. In 2019, we collaborated with Nestlé and ELEVATE to launch the ‘Suara Kami’ (‘Our Voice’) Helpline, to provide independent third-party help to our workers in Malaysia. The ‘Suara Kami’ Helpline provides an avenue for workers to report on working conditions, recruitment practices, safety and other issues in a confidential manner. In line with our Human Rights Charter, we also partner with our associates to strengthen worker empowerment through social dialogue and better dissemination of information about workers’ rights, ensuring employee welfare is prioritised and labour rights advocacy is strengthened.

We have also increased awareness of our Whistleblowing channels and ‘Suara Kami’ Helpline by engaging our social dialogue worker representatives. We created WhatsApp videos in the relevant languages to describe how workers can raise concerns. Reminders about these channels are also delivered at morning muster briefings, awareness sessions, and through posters and printed flyers that are distributed with payslips and displayed at prominent locations and common areas such as sports clubs and halls.

All our grievance channels respect the rights of workers to remain anonymous, ensuring confidentiality assurance throughout the process and safeguarding the worker well-being.

Stories & Initiatives:

Suara Kami (Workers Voice)

Providing and enhancing platforms for workers is extremely important to us. A worker helpline called ‘Suara Kami’, established in 2018, provides a multi-lingual and effective channel for our workers to raise any issues or grievances they may have, including their working conditions, recruitment and safety. More importantly, the helpline ensures that these issues are fully handled through clear protocols with consistent follow-ups and resolutions.

The independent monitoring by a third party of ‘Suara Kami’ accords a higher level of transparency and accountability for us to act on grievances.

This enhanced helpline strengthens our existing established grievance procedures and whistleblowing channels, which are already available for all of our employees and external parties.

Here are what some of our workers think about the helpline.

Education & Childcare

A crucial component of eradicating child labour is ensuring children have access to education. Providing access to free primary and secondary education to all school-age children at our plantations results in regular school attendance. It minimises the risk of children being physically on-site at plantations and creates opportunities for a better future.

Across all operations, we have built and operate 96 schools for children at our plantations and those from surrounding communities. We also provide transportation and ensure access to government-run and third-party schools, including institutions run by the Humana Child Aid Society and the Indonesian embassy in Malaysia, catering to stateless and non-Malaysian children. In Indonesia and Malaysia, we operate 84 kindergartens and 220 crèches – or daycare centres – where pre-schoolers are cared for whilst their parents are at work.
Minamas and NBPOL are actively involved in CSR and donation activities related to education, supporting schools and communities around their locations. For example, in FY2024, Minamas supported education through activities such as renovating kindergartens, donating tables and chairs to schools, and providing school uniforms. Meanwhile, NBPOL carried out educational awareness campaigns and donated school books and library books.

Note: Update > Indonesia : Creche = 140, Kindergartens = 64, Schools built = 56

Community Development

Decent working and Living Environment

Smallholder Development