Spain introduces “paid climate leave” to help workers during extreme weather | Weekly Update 4 December
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
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Protecting workers in the climate crisis
The Guardian
Following deadly floods in the Valencia region at the end of October, which killed at least 224 people, the Spanish government has approved “paid climate leave” of up to four days to allow workers to avoid travelling during weather emergencies.
Labour minister Yolanda Díaz said the aim of the measure was to “regulate in accordance with the climate emergency” so that “no worker must run risks”. Employees can also work a reduced working day beyond the four-day period, a mechanism that is already in place for other types of emergencies. The legislation was inspired by similar laws in Canada, according to a report from RTVE.
Conversely, in South Korea several delivery firms have come under fire for offering additional pay incentives for working in dangerous conditions when a heavy snowstorm blanketed the Seoul area.
Responding to this, the South Korean government announced plans to introduce the “Support Act for Vulnerable Workers” on 26 November. These proposed laws aim to provide protections for freelancers, workers in the gig economy, and employees of small businesses with fewer than five workers - groups traditionally excluded from labour laws.
FROM US
Caroline Avan, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre; Robin Roels, EU Raw Materials Coalition Coordinator and Policy Officer for Raw Materials, Europe Environmental Bureau; Tommy Pratama, Executive Director, Traction Energy Asia
From our Binding Treaty series:
Luiz Gustavo Lo-Buono, former General Coordinator of Human Rights and Business, Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, Brazil
BUSINESS & HUMAN RIGHTS IN FOCUS?
VOLKSWAGEN TO EXIT XINJIANG OVER FORCED LABOUR CONCERNS: German carmaker Volkswagen has confirmed it will sell its Xinjiang plant and two test tracks after years of mounting pressure, including from investors, to abandon its presence in a region in which the UN and rights groups have documented abuses against the Uyghur population. The announcement comes after the company’s forced labour audit of the factory faced criticism in October 2024 for alleged failure to meet international standards.
Human Rights Watch stated that Volkswagen’s move demonstrates the “near impossibility of operating responsibly” in Xinjiang and warned that “credible auditing and human rights due diligence is not possible” in the region.
Global companies continue to face scrutiny over their links to Xinjiang: Tadashi Yanai, Chief Executive of Uniqlo parent company Fast Retailing, said last week that the company does not use cotton from the region in its products after previously maintaining a “neutral” stance. Beijing consistently denies allegations of Uyghur forced labour in Xinjiang. ?
AUSTRALIA PUSHED TO STRENGTHEN REGULATION FOR BUSINESS:?The Australian government has announced that it will take steps to strengthen its Modern Slavery Act in response to a review of the first three years of the law. Civil society groups and unions have welcomed the proposed changes, which include the introduction of penalties, but are calling on the Albanese Government to also introduce a legal requirement for companies to take action to prevent modern slavery through human rights due diligence.
BHRRC’s Senior Representative for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Amy Sinclair said: “It is time for Australian businesses to move beyond policies and be required to act with due diligence in sourcing their inputs.” The announcement comes as the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery also recommends that Australia “amend the Modern Slavery Act to create a legal obligation on large companies to establish a due diligence mechanism”.
AROUND THE WORLD
INTERNATIONAL
Spotlight:
International Trade Union Confederation
Earlier this year, the International Trade Union Confederation?(ITUC) named seven “corporate underminers of democracy”, who allegedly use their own operations, supply chains and investments to undermine democracy and commit human rights abuse – namely Amazon.com, Blackstone, ExxonMobil, Glencore, Meta, Tesla and Vanguard.
?? We asked all seven companies to respond to allegations of human rights abuse, including violations of labour, land, environmental and Indigenous Peoples' rights. Despite the range of serious allegations at a time of deep concern for the state of democracy worldwide, only two of the seven companies provided a response to the ITUC's claims. Responses from Glencore and Meta can be read here and here.
See also: A worker has sued the US Department of Justice to force the release of records surrounding the deaths of three workers at New Jersey Amazon workplaces, while in India the company is facing prosecution in an Indian court for labour law violations at a major warehouse near Delhi.?
AFRICA
Spotlight:
Mozambique: Report finds that TotalEnergies was aware of accusations of abuses committed by soldiers charged with protecting its gas site in early 2021?
Le Monde
French newspaper Le Monde reports that energy giant TotalEnergies was aware of accusations of abuses committed by soldiers charged with protecting its gas site in Mozambique as early as 2021. It cites a 2021 report which claimed local residents had regularly reported human rights violations including curtailed freedom of movement, extortion, violence, arrests and disappearances.???
???TotalEnergies responded in a statement to Le Monde that it had reached an agreement with Mozambique authorities to provide "security and human rights training" and implement "a system of grievances and investigations".
Other news from the region:
AMERICAS
Spotlight:
Mongabay
Responding to plans by mining company Herculano Minera??o to extract iron ore in Queimadas, Brazil, Quilombola communities claimed that mining projects present the risk of permanent damage to the region’s ecosystems and local livelihoods. People in Queimadas also report irregularities in the way the company?has cleared hurdles for its iron ore project.
??? Herculano Minera??o responded that it “reiterates its deep respect for traditional communities” and that it “has no reason not to remain confident that the project will be approved”.
Other news from the region:
ASIA & PACIFIC
Spotlight:
China: Globalworks Lund AB publishes three-part report highlighting labour and human rights risks in Shein and Temu supply chains?
Globalworks Lund AB
Analysis by Globalworks Lund AB examines the ultra-fast business model employed by e-commerce giants Shein and Temu, concluding that the “algorithmically managed supplier relations” on which the companies rely is driving the?“reemergence of a sweatshop economy in which workers labour without formal contracts and under unregulated working hours”.
The research also examines working conditions of warehouse workers and office staff, as well as the high risk of forced labour due to the two brands’ key role in a?large-scale industrial park in Qingyuan, Guangdong province, which acts as a vital manufacturing hub that allegedly relies on Xinjiang cotton for production.
??? We asked both companies to respond; Shein responded.
Other news from the region:
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA
Spotlight:
Don’t Buy Into Occupation
New research alleges that 822 European financial institutions (including banks, asset managers, insurance companies and pension funds) had financial relationships with 58 companies actively involved with illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) from 2021 to August 2024.
All 58 companies are alleged to be involved in one or more of the “listed activities that raise particular human rights concerns”, which constitute the basis for inclusion in the UN database of business enterprises involved in Israeli settlements (published in February 2020 and updated in June 2023). The next update is expected to be published in early 2025.
??? Publicly-available responses from financial institutions and companies can be viewed here.
Other news from the region:
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA
Spotlight:
Human Rights Watch
Remnants of weapons found at the site of an?Israeli?airstrike that killed three journalists and injured four others in Lebanon in October were found by Human Rights Watch to be consistent with equipment manufactured, assembled and/or sold by US companies Woodward and Boeing. The airstrike was labelled by Human Rights Watch as a likely deliberate attack on civilians and an “apparent war crime”.
The NGO attempted to contact both companies for comment; neither responded.
See also:
UK: Groups will apply for emergency injunction to stop arms sales to Israel after ICC arrest warrant
Other news from the region:
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Catch up on company responses & non-responses to key stories from previous weeks:
Sri Lanka: App-based drivers demand fair wages, protections and workplace reforms; incl. co. response
Solidarity Center
App-based delivery and passenger drivers in Sri Lanka are grappling with severe challenges, working 11 to 16 hours a day, according to a new report by Solidarity Center. Workers who are excluded from formal labour protections face low wages, unsafe work environments and the threat of penalties imposed by app algorithms. Lack of access to paid leave, health benefits, or compensation in cases of injury leaves workers in a state of constant precarity.
?? We asked Uber Sri Lanka and PickMe to respond: Uber responded; PickMe did not respond.
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Trainee Solicitor at Datamaran
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