In the suit, filed late on Tuesday, the 13 former workers claim damages from US personal care company Kimberly-Clark and Australian personal protective equipment supplier Ansell in the Federal District Court for the district of Columbia.

The complaint says public reports on Brightway and other Malaysian glove makers, and violations found by labour audits, were evidence of the two companies’ knowledge of the alleged abuses.

Kimberly Clark did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular US business hours.

Ansell and Brightway said they did not have an immediate comment.

The US banned Brightway products from entering the country in December 2021 over suspected forced labour practices, saying it had found 10 of 11 International Labour Organization indicators of forced labour.