Weekly Update | Companies accused of endangering workers amid deadly Spanish floods
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
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Freedom News, Olive Press News Spain
Amid catastrophic floods that killed more than 200 people and resulted in widespread destruction last month, several major companies including Mercadona, Uber Eats, Glovo, Inditex and IKEA, face allegations of endangering workers by failing to prioritise their safety.??
Spanish supermarket giant Mercadona reportedly continued to send workers out on deliveries despite red alerts from Spain’s meteorological office, resulting in one driver being rescued by helicopter from the torrential floods.?
Delivery companies Uber Eats and Glovo allegedly forced riders to continue their deliveries, wading through floodwaters on bicycles and scooters, ‘causing many colleagues to risk their lives for EUR3 (approx. USD3.18) per order’ according to workers’ rights group Riders X Derechos.?
?Meanwhile, furniture retailer IKEA faced allegations that it left workers ‘trapped’ overnight. Workers at clothing company Inditex, barred from accessing their phones on shift, allege that they were not made aware of the extreme weather and the danger it posed.??
Spain’s largest union CCOO condemned companies’ failures to halt work despite warnings, noting that many victims were on duty when the floods struck.?
?? We invited all named companies to respond to the allegations. Responses from Ikea, Uber Eats, Glovo and Mercadona can be read here . Inditex did not respond to our request for comment.
See also: Greenpeace Spain's Executive Director has called for oil and gas companies to cover the costs of the flooding, arguing that they bear responsibility for the climate impacts of fossil fuel emissions.?
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FROM US
Bennett Freeman, Former Senior VP for Sustainability Research and Policy, Calvert Investments
BUSINESS & HUMAN RIGHTS IN FOCUS?
US ELECTION — WINS & LOSSES FOR LABOUR RIGHTS:
As Donald Trump prepares to retake the White House, experts warn that his second administration could reverse many pro-labour measures implemented under President Biden, such as protections for unionising workers and stricter enforcement of child labour laws.
They also anticipate that the Trump administration will relax safety rule enforcement, reduce overtime pay eligibility, make it harder for gig workers to qualify as employees, and could jeopardise the new heat protections for workers recently proposed by the Biden administration.
Trump's promise to launch the ‘largest deportation program in American history’ could also significantly disrupt the agricultural sector , in which migrant workers — many undocumented — make up a significant portion of the labour force.
Nevertheless, workers made some gains in Tuesday's election, including in California and in business-friendly red states like Texas, Nebraska, Missouri and Alaska.
Alaska’s Measure 1 will raise the state minimum wage to USD15 by 2027, ensure paid sick leave, and limit employers from imposing political or religious speech, including anti-union messaging. A spokesperson for Trade Union Alaska AFL-CIO said that in Alaska these are not partisan issues.
Missouri voters approved a minimum wage increase and paid sick leave, while Nebraska backed paid sick leave. In Texas, Travis County joined California's Sonoma County in approving tax increases to fund childcare, aiming to ease the burden of childcare costs and boost workforce participation among low-income families.?
COP29 NARRATIVES:
As governments and non-state actors from around the world are gathered in Azerbaijan for the COP29 climate summit, reports suggest that apparently fake accounts on X were used to promote the country’s hosting of the summit, while drowning out criticism of its human rights and climate record.?
The suspicious accounts were allegedly mostly set up after July, at which time seven of the ten most popular posts using the COP29 hashtags were critical of Azerbaijan’s role in the conflict with Armenia, using hashtags such as #stopgreenwashgenocide. By September — with the alleged help of the suspicious accounts — this had changed, with all of the top ten most popular posts coming from the official COP29 Azerbaijan account.
A spokesperson for X said: ‘We have actioned a majority of the accounts that are flagged in this report. Our safety teams are constantly working to thwart coordinated inauthentic behaviour.’
Meanwhile, a lobbying firm with close links to the fossil fuel industry was reportedly paid USD4.7m to help Azerbaijan enhance its image ahead of COP29.
The lobbying giant Teneo was allegedly awarded a seven-month contract which campaigners claim helped the petrostate ‘greenwash’ its reputation. Teneo did not respond to journalists’ requests for comment.??
TECH COMPANIES ALLEGEDLY FUELLING RUSSIA’S WAR: ?
A Bloomberg News investigation reveals how an Indian pharma company, Shreya Life Sciences, allegedly exported more than 1,000 servers made by US-based Dell Technologies to Russia from April to August 2024.
These shipments, worth a reported USD300m, are allegedly part of a broader effort to supply Russia with restricted technology, including AI processors used for military operations.??
In a statement, Dell said that it had ceased selling and offering services and products in Russia in February 2022, immediately following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and maintains ‘a strict trade compliance program’.??
? We invited Shreya Life Sciences to respond to the allegations; it did not.??
An investigation by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission has uncovered components from US and EU companies in a missile used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine in 2024.
The analysis showed that the missile contained microelectronics manufactured by companies from the US, UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands, reportedly produced between 2021 and 2023, despite sanctions beginning in 2022.
?? We invited nine companies mentioned in the report to respond. Diodes, Analog Devices, NXP, Traco Power and STMicroelectronics responded. Their comments can be read here . Bourns, Broadcom, Avago and XP Power did not respond.??
AROUND THE WORLD
AFRICA
Spotlight:
Times of Swaziland
Textile factory Davinscot Clothing Swaziland has been placed under liquidation, resulting in the loss of 120 jobs following a steep decline in orders between 2023 and 2024, partially as a result of strike action which left the company unable to meet its production targets, leading to cancellation of orders. Increasing production costs and supply chain disruptions also contributed to the company’s financial strain.
A spokesperson for the company explained that ‘cash flow problems’ meant employees had their hours cut and saw delays in salary payments, leading to 12 days of strike action in October 2024. Learn more about how brand purchasing practices and supply chain shocks impact apparel workers with our Who Pays For the Crisis? portal.
Other news from the region:
AMERICAS
Spotlight:
Avispa Midia
On 17 October 2024, Francisco Pop Ico —? a human rights defender from the Mayan Q'eqchi' community of Santa Elena in Petén — was killed just one day before he was due to attend a court hearing initiated by palm oil company Industrias Chiquibul, accusing him and four other former workers of crimes of usurpation and threats in connection with their efforts to defend labour rights.???
?? We invited Industrias Chiquibul to respond to the allegations; it said that it ‘rejects the accusations that attempt to involve our company to this tragic event’ [sic.] and ‘demands that competent authorities initiate a prompt and thorough investigation’. Read the full response here .??
Other news from the region:
ASIA & PACIFIC
Spotlight:
Bloomberg
Police in Bangladesh have asked the Malaysian government to arrest and extradite two businessmen over alleged involvement in migrant trafficking, extortion and money laundering. The requests for arrest are part of a broader investigation into those involved in sending workers from Bangladesh to Malaysia. Labour migration is one of the country’s most important industries, but is also known to involve fees that saddle workers with debts and make them vulnerable to abuse.?
The businessmen respectively own Bestinet, a company that provides software used by Malaysian authorities to process migrant workers, and Catharsis International, a Bangladeshi recruitment firm.??
A spokesperson for Bestinet has said that it complies with all laws both in Bangladesh and Malaysia. A representative for Catharsis said it has ‘always been operating legally, legitimately and ethically’.??
Other news from the region:
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA
Spotlight:
The Guardian ?
Thousands of Bolt drivers have won their legal claim to be classed as employees rather than self-employed contractors, entitling them to compensation worth more than GBP200m (approx. USD256m), and workers’ rights and protection under employment law, including holiday pay, a guaranteed minimum wage and breaks.
Lawyers for the drivers said the ruling affected all of the 100,000+ drivers who take on work through Bolt. A Bolt spokesperson said it would ‘continue to engage with drivers as we carefully review our options, including grounds for appeal’.?
Other news from the region:
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA
Spotlight:
Human Rights Watch
Ahead of FIFA's expected decision to award Saudi Arabia hosting rights to the 2034 men’s World Cup in December, Human Rights Watch has criticised the football association for ?overlooking the country’s poor human rights record, particularly in relation to migrant workers, who will be crucial for building the infrastructure needed for the tournament.?
The country’s bid documents reportedly fail to address well-documented abuses against migrant workers, including inadequate heat protections, unchecked wage theft, the ban on labour unions and an exploitative kafala labour system. Meanwhile an independent report commissioned by FIFA has been criticised for its failure to consult affected workers or members of Saudi civil society.
FIFA did not respond to Human Rights Watch’s request for comment.??
Other news from the region:
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Catch up on company responses & non-responses to key stories from previous weeks:
Reuters, Terra
38 Indigenous and community organisations in Pará state have signed a public letter criticising the government's alleged failure to consult them before signing the deal with multinational companies.
The agreement, valued at USD180m, is the first of its kind in the Amazon, and aims to make carbon credits generated by conservation efforts in the Amazon rainforest available to purchase. Amazon and the Walmart Foundation are reportedly the two main supporters of the agreement.
? We invited Amazon and the Walmart Foundation to respond to the allegations; they did not.
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