Weekly Update 29 May
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
We are an international NGO that tracks the human rights impacts of over 10,000 companies in over 180 countries.
LEAD STORY
Council of the European Union; ECCJ, BHRRC, Amnesty International?
On 24 May, EU member states formally confirmed the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)?– the absolute final sign-off of this landmark law, after a 4-year legislative process at EU level and almost a decade of advocacy. Member states have two years to transpose into national legislation. Civil society welcomed the directive as a?gamechanger despite loopholes, calling on EU governments to ensure strong national legislation and effective implementation and enforcement. Read diverse commentaries, including our own.
FROM US
KSE Institute, the Yermak-McFaul International Working Group on Russian Sanctions, Reuters, BHRRC?
A new report by KSE Institute and the Yermak-McFaul International Working Group on Russian Sanctions analysed?almost 2,800 foreign components used in Russian military equipment and found in?Ukraine's battlefield. It identified over 250 Western companies' products -?despite export controls.?The authors urge policy makers to take action to enhance export controls enforcement in order to prevent Russia from exploring loopholes in the sanctions regime.?We invited the 225 companies named to respond to the allegations; 50?companies responded. Their responses can be seen here.?
BHR IN CONFLICT-AFFECTED AREAS
ISRAEL/OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
CSOs file criminal complaint in the Netherlands against Booking.com for allegedly profiting from Israeli settlement listings
Reuters?
Dutch prosecutors are looking into a criminal complaint against Booking.com over its listing of rental properties in Israeli settlements. Dutch CSO SOMO said it had filed the complaint in November, together with 3 other human rights groups, but had not gone public. The groups accuse Booking.com of ‘profiting from war crimes by facilitating the rental of vacation homes on land stolen from the indigenous Palestinian population’. SOMO said its research had shown?Booking.com's platform offered up to 70 listings for properties in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank between 2021 and 2023. The settlements built on land captured by Israel are deemed illegal by most countries, including the Netherlands. In?response?Booking.com said it disagreed with the allegations. It alleged?there are no laws prohibiting listings in Israeli settlements, adding that a range of US state laws would prohibit divesting from the region.?
The Intercept?
WhatsApp’s security team allegedly issued an internal note stating that users were vulnerable to government surveillance,?despite the software’s encryption. According to the threat assessment, conversations remain secure, but government agencies can identify who users communicate with, the membership of private groups, and perhaps their locations. The warning was issued in March, but has only come to light now.?WhatsApp employees have reportedly raised concerns Israel may?be exploiting the?vulnerability as part of its programme to monitor Palestinians. A Meta spokesperson denies the allegations, stating ‘WhatsApp has no backdoors and we have no evidence of vulnerabilities in how WhatsApp works.’?
Ground News?
Norwegian insurance company Storebrand has sold all its shares in US technology giant?IBM, citing its?activities in illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine as the reason for the sale. The company said in a statement that it closely monitors the companies it invests in and whether they align with Storebrand’s values, adding the company had tried to talk to IBM about the issue but had not received a response. Storebrand is Norway’s second-largest asset management company.? See also; the?BDS Movement has called?for urgent action against companies 'profiting from genocide and?apartheid', following Israel's bombardment of Rafah.
RUSSIA/UKRAINE
Bloomberg?
The?proposal?from shareholder??Wespath Benefits and Investments?said the maker of Oreo cookies and Alpen Gold chocolate needs to increase disclosures so investors can better assess its performance on human rights in conflict zones, specifically naming Russia and Ukraine. While the proposal didn’t pass, its substantial?support puts?greater scrutiny on?Mondelez’s continued presence in Russia, especially?after the withdrawal of many other Western companies, said the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.? Mondelez?has previously said it is complying with sanctions while setting up the Russia business to operate independently.??
MYANMAR
Agence France Presse?
The controversial USD3.6b Myitsone dam project was suspended over a decade ago following extensive public opposition. Its opponents say the dam on the Ayeyarwady river - which will export approx. 90% of the power it generates to China - would cause huge environmental damage and could significantly alter the river's flow. A 2018 report estimated?approx. 34m people in Myanmar lived in the Ayeyarwady basin. A new ‘leading group,’ for the hydropower project has been established. It will work with China's State Power Investment Corporation's (SPIC) Yunnan International Power Investment Company on the project. ?
INTERNATIONAL
Reuters??
A report by Israeli tech company Cyabra?has revealed?a surge in fake accounts on social media platform X discussing the US presidential election. Analysis allegedly found?15% of X accounts praising Donald Trump and criticising President Joe Biden, and?7% of accounts praising Biden and criticising Trump, are allegedly?fake. The analysis reported?newly detected fake accounts had increased tenfold during March and April of this year. A spokesperson for X?did not respond to journalists' request for comment about the fake accounts.?
AFRICA
Daily Maverick?
Security guards outside Shoprite at Ratanda Mall in Gauteng reportedly opened fire with rubber bullets on a crowd which had gathered to protest the death of Bandile Tshabalala. Tshabalala?allegedly?died after being locked in a cold room at Shoprite for approximately 11 hours after reportedly stealing chocolate from the supermarket. Shoprite said it has launched an investigation into the incident. A spokesperson for the supermarket chain said, ‘The allegations are seen in an extremely serious light and the necessary steps will be taken pending the outcome of a full investigation.’?
BBC, Daily News?
The blast occurred at a factory run by Mtibwa Sugar Estates Limited, one of Tanzania's main sugar manufacturers, reportedly after a heavy-duty steam pipe burst while a newly installed heating system was being tested. Following the blast, Mtibwa Sugar has suspended all production activities. A representative of the factory’s Workers’ Association emphasised the importance of safety measures in the workplace and called for a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the explosion. A spokesperson for Mtibwa Sugar said the company will cover all funeral costs.?
The Conversation?
Indigenous communities in South Africa have recently achieved 2 significant victories against Shell's fossil fuel exploration plans off the Wild Coast - adding to a?growing body of successful, Indigenous-oriented climate litigation cases around the world.?The communities obtained?an interim interdict to halt Shell's exploration and have?its exploration rights set aside. Shell is appealing the second ruling.
AMERICAS
Infoamazonia, Mongabay, CLIP?
An investigation by the Center for Climate Crime Analysis (CCA) revealed?carbon credits from 2 REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon - sold to major companies including Gol Airlines, Nestlé, Toshiba, and PwC - may be linked to illegal timber laundering.?The projects were developed by Carbonext,?the largest carbon credit provider in Brazil, and certified by Verra, one of the world’s largest voluntary carbon market registries. Brazilian authorities have suspended logging authorisations in the areas, with further investigations ongoing. ? Project owner Grupo Ituxi denied wrongdoing, stating all its activities are audited. A Verra spokesperson said the company needs more details?before commenting on the findings. Carbonext said it wasn’t involved with the forest management carried out in the area, and that ‘there are no scientifically recognised ways of determining the volume of wood in forest management projects based solely on satellite images’.?
Documented NY?
After the Farm Laborers and Fair Labor Practices Act came into effect in 2020, nearly 500 migrant workers at 5 fruit and vegetable farms in New York voted to unionise. However earlier this month?Documented New York reported ongoing?barriers to freedom of association and collective bargaining faced by migrant workers on farms in New York, particularly affecting workers from Mexico and Jamaica. The United Farm Workers Union alleges growers at 5 farms - A&J Kirby, Cahoon Farms, Lynn-Ette & Sons, Porpiglia Farms and Wafler Farms - are refusing to negotiate.?Lynn-Ette & Sons and?Porpiglia Farms face charges of unfair labour practices.?Cahoon Farms did not?respond to journalists?request for comment.?We invited Wafler Farms to respond to the allegations; it did not.?We were unable to contact?A&J Kirby for comment.
California Restaurant & Retail Workers Union (CRRWU) ??
In a series of letters to investors published by the California Restaurant and Retail Workers Union (CRRWU) over 6 months, Coway’s US subsidiary is accused of various labour rights abuses. Allegations included obstructing union formation, low wages, exploitative conditions and delayed payment. We invited Coway to respond to the allegations; it did not.
领英推荐
ASIA & PACIFIC
Labor Fact?
Delong Indonesia, a subsidiary of Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry Company, is facing?allegations of systematically withholding wages since 2019, affecting over 40,000 workers. The company is also accused of false recruitment, poor treatment, frequent fines?and sexual harassment. In addition, a construction worker subcontracted by Delong said his basic needs, including living conditions, accommodation, food and wages, were not guaranteed. We invited Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry to respond to the allegations; it did not. ?
Al Jazeera?
An explosion killed at least 8 people, and left some 60 others injured, according to officials and media reports. The blast, originating from a boiler explosion, also caused widespread damage to adjacent factories and nearby houses. Police have filed culpable homicide charges against the factory owners due to negligence in handling toxic substances. The incident highlights India's safety challenges in manufacturing hubs, with activists calling for improved regulations enforcement and?worker safety standards.?
The Korea Times; Hankyoreh?
The Ministry of Employment and Labor said 27 fish farm operators, representing more than a quarter of the 107 workplaces inspected between 25 March and 30 April 2024, were confirmed to have violated labour laws. Among them, 10 failed to provide suitable accommodation to workers?and 17 employers were penalised for not paying proper wages or violating visa regulations. The Ministry of Employment and Labor has increased inspections on foreign worker employers, while the Labor Minister pledged to enhance monitoring to safeguard migrant workers in the country.?
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA
The Grocer; Landworkers’ Alliance, FairSquare & Andy Hall??
Civil society groups, including Landworkers’ Alliance, FairSquare and migrant worker specialist Andy Hall, have called on supermarkets to implement the?Employer Pays Principle (EPP)?in the UK Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS). The EPP is an internationally recognised best practice standard which states no worker should pay for a job, and recruitment costs should be borne by the employer.? We invited 9 UK supermarkets to respond. We received responses from Aldi,?Asda,?the Co-Op,?Lidl,?Marks & Spencer,?Morrisons,?Sainsbury's,?Tesco and Waitrose. We also received statements from the British Retail Consortium and the Ethical Trading Initiative.?
The Guardian??
A criminal case has been filed against the CEO and directors of the French oil company TotalEnergies, alleging its fossil fuel exploitation contributed to the deaths of victims of climate-fuelled extreme weather disasters. The case was filed by 8 people harmed by extreme weather, alongside 3 CSOs. The plaintiffs believe it is the first such criminal case filed against the individuals running a major oil company. The case seeks to establish the alleged criminal liability of TotalEnergies’ directors and its major shareholders for deliberately endangering the lives of others, involuntary manslaughter, neglecting to address a disaster, and damaging biodiversity. Such crimes, if proven, are punishable by imprisonment and fines.?
The Mirror
Several members of the Brazilian, Bengali, Romanian and British rider communities arrived for a demonstration?outside the company's Annual General Meeting in London. The drivers say Deliveroo has continually ignored their concerns?regarding substandard pay and job security.?Deliveroo previously vowed to raise the guaranteed pay rate to GDP12 (approx. USD15)?for delivering orders, however drivers say that their pay effectively falls beneath GDP12 due in part to extended wait times and traffic congestion. A Deliveroo spokesperson said,?‘We value dialogue with riders and were grateful to the riders who attended and shared their experiences and questions with the Board today. Deliveroo offers the flexible work riders tell us they want alongside attractive earning opportunities and protections.’?
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA
BBC?
A BBC investigation into perfume supply chains found jasmine used by beauty brands?Lanc?me and Aerin Beauty’s suppliers was picked by minors, despite all the luxury perfume brands claiming to have zero tolerance on child labour. Industry insiders said the handful of companies which own many luxury brands are squeezing budgets, resulting in very low pay. Egyptian jasmine pickers say this forces them to involve their children.? L'Oréal, Lanc?me’s owner, said it was committed to respecting human rights. Estée Lauder, Aerin Beauty’s owner, said it had contacted its suppliers.?
Times of India?
Employed by a construction company through contractors since March, the workers report that their documents were confiscated, and they are being asked to pay for their release. ?The district labor office has conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to the state labor commission for further action.
Company Responses?
Company Non-Responses
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