Weekly Update 21 August
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
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The Guardian, Windsor Star, Atlantic
The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obokata, has published a report calling Canada's reliance on temporary foreign workers - particularly in the agriculture and care sectors - a ‘breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery’.?The report finds deep power imbalances and discriminatory practices in Canada results in lower costs for companies but exploits workers from the Global South, particularly?those from Mexico, Guatemala and Jamaica.?
The report particularly focuses on the challenges for migrant workers employed through Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program and hired on closed work permits, which restricts workers' mobility and ties them to a single employer, creating a significant power imbalance. Barriers to accessing unions and healthcare, intimidation in the workplace and fear of deportation, substandard living conditions and a lack of enforcement are all highlighted as harms and risks for migrant workers. The report has been criticised as ‘extreme’ by farmers in Essex County and industry bodies, pointing to improvements in recent years, but welcomed by workers' rights advocates and organisers .
See also: Last month a rally was held at Toronto's Ministry of Labour to demand justice for Garvin Yapp , a migrant farmworker who died in a workplace accident at Berlo’s Best Farm. The event called for urgent reforms to improve safety and protections for agricultural workers.?
FROM US
Nandita Shivakumar
BUSINESS & HUMAN RIGHTS IN FOCUS
FOREIGN TECH IN RUSSIAN WARFARE: Ukraine’s government has launched an open database of foreign equipment allegedly used by Russia for weapons production. As of 19 August, the database holds information about machine tools manufactured by 140 companies, which are reportedly used by plants in Russia to make weapons used in attacks on Ukraine. Meanwhile, a report by the B4Ukraine Coalition alleges foreign businesses are helping sustain Russia’s war on Ukraine via exports of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines critical for military production. Between January and October 2023, Russia's imports of CNC machinery reportedly grew by a third (33%) compared to 2022. Key producers reportedly include companies from Germany, South Korea and Taiwan, with shipments originating from China, Hong Kong and Turkey.?
?? We invited 130 companies whose equipment is listed in the database to respond to the allegations. Contact information for the remaining 10 could not be found. 14 companies responded; their comments can be read here . We invited 15 companies mentioned in the B4Ukraine report to respond to the allegations. Responses from Sodick, Fanuc and DMG Mori can be read here .?
COMMUNITY RESISTANCE TO MINING: Indigenous Peoples and other local communities are taking legal actions over alleged rights violations in the global mining industry. In Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, a class action lawsuit against Rio Tinto and its former unit Bougainville Copper for alleged historical mismanagement of the Panguna Copper Mine has swelled in numbers to include approximately 4,500 residents. Panguna, which was operated by Bougainville Copper, shut in 1989 after local protests over the disbursement of revenue from the mine fed into a civil war that killed as many as 20,000 people. Villagers are seeking compensation for loss and damage that could be expected to be in the billions of dollars. In Canada, the chiefs of 6 Northern Ontario First Nations are challenging the province’s mining regulations in court . They argue the current system infringes on their right to free, prior and informed consent, and that mining claims obstruct their traditional way of life. The First Nations leaders reportedly seek to have certain provisions of the mining act declared unconstitutional.?
AMAZON WORKPLACE SAFETY CRISES: An investigation found that ambulances were called to Amazon's UK warehouses over 1,400 times in 5 years , sparking concerns over workplace safety. Incidents allegedly ranged from traumatic injuries and exposure to acids and hazardous gases, to psychiatric emergencies and attempted suicides. The GMB trade union labeled the figures as ‘shocking, but not surprising’, commenting ‘Amazon workers are routinely pushed beyond the limits of human endurance’ and calling on local authorities and the Health and Safety Executive to investigate the company’s working practices. Amazon denies the allegations, stating that safety is a priority and emergency protocols are always followed. Meanwhile, Amazon warehouse workers in Manesar, India, report severe labour violations amid extreme heat and high productivity targets during Amazon Prime Day last month. Over 1,000 workers, mostly migrant women, reportedly faced gruelling conditions, with complaints of heat stroke, dehydration, and limited bathroom access.?
?? We invited Amazon to respond to the accusation of poor working conditions in the Manesar warehouse. It said its facilities are ‘industry-leading’ and safe. The full response can be read here .?
AROUND THE WORLD
AFRICA
Spotlight:
Anadolu Ajans?
Lawyers for families of the victims of a 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash which killed 149 passengers and 8 crew members are seeking up to USD58b in compensation. The move challenges Boeing’s recent deal with the US Department of Justice to plead guilty to criminal fraud and pay fines between USD243.6m and USD487m. The families’ lawyers argued the proposed settlement does not sufficiently address the scale of loss and suffering. The crash was linked to issues with the 737 Max arising from Boeing's cost-cutting and oversight failures. Boeing previously admitted responsibility for the crash, acknowledging unsafe conditions with the aircraft.?
Other news from the region:
AMERICAS
Spotlight:
Aljazeera
Social media giant X has announced it will close its operations in Brazil immediately following a legal dispute with a Supreme Court judge over the platform’s responsibilities to counter disinformation. Earlier this year, Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts while he investigates ‘digital militias’ - groups accused of spreading fake news and hate speech on social networks in order to influence politics during the administration of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro. The social media platform announced its decision to shutter operations in Brazil after Moraes allegedly threatened its legal representative in Brazil with arrest if the company did not comply with his orders, which the platform labelled ‘censorship’.?
Other news from the region:
ASIA & PACIFIC
Spotlight:
Donations and Democracy
Australia-headquartered companies, including Austal, CSL Limited, and Rio Tinto, are allegedly connected to political donations made by their US subsidiaries' Political Action Committees (PACs) to members of Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 US presidential election results, raising concerns about corporate support undermining democratic process and human rights. The donations reportedly occurred despite widespread rulings affirming the election’s integrity. Austal’s US PAC is said to have donated to 11 Congress members, CSL Limited’s to 2 members, and Rio Tinto’s to 2 members. In addition to the direct donations, a number of Australia-headquartered companies are reportedly connected through their US subsidiaries with trade associations whose PACs have donated to US Congress members after they voted against certifying the results. These companies include: Austal; CSL Limited; Endeavour Energy; Rio Tinto; South32; TasNetworks; TNA Solutions. The companies did not respond to Donations and Democracy’s request for comment
Other news from the region:
领英推荐
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA
Spotlight:
BBC
After a 5-year wait, a modern slavery case involving 35 migrant fishers was dropped, despite the UK Home Office formally recognising them as victims of trafficking. The workers, from the Philippines, Ghana, India and Sri Lanka, were identified as modern slavery victims following investigations into their employment with Scottish fishing firm TN Trawlers, stemming from referrals made between 2012 and 2020. They reported dangerous working conditions, insufficient food and clothing, and being forced to work onshore in violation of their transit visas. Despite this, no human trafficking or slavery cases have reached trial. A letter from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service stated that while prosecutors found evidence of a crime, it wasn’t sufficient to identify the perpetrator. A spokesman for TN Group denied the allegations.??
Other news from the region:
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA
Spotlight:
Common Dreams
Etsy allegedly hosts numerous shops located in areas considered illegal Israeli settlements by the United Nations and under international law: Ariel, Maale Adumim and Tekoa. The report states ‘by facilitating the sale of products from shops located in these settlements, Etsy could be connected to war crimes’, it highlights Etsy's contracts with these shops are managed through its Irish subsidiary. Responding to journalists’ request for comment, Etsy said it has ‘shared this information internally with the appropriate teams for review.’?
Other news from the region:
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Catch up on company responses & non-responses to key stories from previous weeks
The study, based on reports from a whistleblower, alleges that Samsung Electronics knowingly exposed workers to highly toxic chemicals at its Bac Ninh factory in Vietnam. Inadequate air filtration, outdated safety equipment, and improper wastewater disposal allegedly led to severe health risks for the factory’s 16,000 workers. Conditions reportedly remained unchanged at the factory despite repeated warnings, including a 2017 survey that found serious health issues among workers, including fainting, eyesight damage, and miscarriages.
?? We invited Samsung Electronics to respond to the allegations; it said it ‘strictly complies with environmental and safety laws and regulations at its Vietnam operations as well as all other global operations’. Read the full response here .
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