A Swiss company profits from child labour and perilous conditions in a Bolivian mine
Swiss-based Glencore turns a blind eye to the deadly conditions in its supply chain, IJM flags up the inadequate sentencing of UK child sex offenders, and the Philippines makes child marriage illegal.
At the Porco mine in the Bolivian Highlands, men and children dig for zinc, lead and silver in inhumane and dangerous conditions. They are employed by large cooperatives, which take what is left behind by the main operator and sell it on – much of it to the operator itself.
A recent investigation by Public Eye highlights the fatal accidents, underage labour and environmental destruction taking place in the Porco mine, which is run by Sociedad Minera Illapa S.A. – a 100% subsidiary of Swiss company Glencore. Glencore buys a large portion of the ore mined by the workers, while systematically turning a blind eye to the issues of child labour and to the fatal or life-changing accidents which result from its extraction.
Zinc, silver and lead have been mined in Porco for 700 years – it is Bolivia’s oldest mine. In 2013, Illapa signed a 15-year association agreement for the operation of the Porco mine with state-owned Corporación Minera de Bolivia (Comibol). Under the agreement, ‘all operational aspects’ fall under the ‘exclusive, comprehensive and full responsibility’ of Illapa – and therefore also its Swiss parent company.
Yet the majority of men and teenagers who work at the mine do not work for Illapa. More than 4,500 of them work for two large cooperatives. When mechanical mining is no longer profitable for the Glencore subsidiary, the cooperatives come into play and send their workers in to extract the scraps – using basic methods and at great risk.
Working in Bolivia’s mines is a family business, with many children joining their fathers or other relatives in the tunnels when they’re not in school; the money they earn allows them to play a part in supporting their families. Now, a decision by Bolivia’s interim government to suspend the academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic has driven even more children into work, and for longer hours. While Bolivian law allows young people to take up paid employment from the age of 14, certain activities are not permitted at such a young age and the law expressly stipulates that this includes mining.
Nevertheless, according to the investigation, it seems that everyone in Porco tolerates underage workers at the mine. They are regularly admitted to the health centre in the village – the youngest patient was only 11 years old. Most accidents are caused by tumbling stone slabs from explosions or by falls – there are few safety precautions in place in the tunnels.
According to Glencore, the offtake agreements between their subsidiary and the cooperatives at the Porco mine are subject to a due diligence requirement, which specifically includes operational safety and the risk of child labour. On the ground, however, it is obvious that these assessments prevent neither the appalling safety standards nor the use of underage workers.
Swiss-based companies have made and continue to make headlines for human rights abuses and environmental damages committed through their global activities. This is why, on 21 April 2015, a broad coalition of Swiss civil society organizations working in human rights, development and environmental protection launched the Responsible Business Initiative. The initiative aims to introduce a binding framework to protect human rights and the environment abroad.
On 29 November, Switzerland will hold a nationwide referendum on the initiative that would make companies headquartered in Switzerland legally responsible for situations within their supply chains.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
Despite the UK’s robust law enforcement efforts, International Justice Mission’s new Falling Short review, and analysis of 15 cases, reveals that sentences for UK demand-side sex offenders, who pay to livestream the sexual abuse of Filipino children, fail to reflect the gravity of these crimes, leaving survivors empty-handed in their pursuit of justice.
Saudi Arabia has announced it will ease some of its ‘kafala’ system restrictions on migrant labourers, allowing private sector workers to change jobs and leave the country without an employer’s consent. While rights groups described the reforms as significant, they cautioned that parts of the system remained in place and called for it to be fully abolished.
The Girls Not Brides Act passed the Philippines’ Senate on Monday, declaring child marriage to be illegal. The bill prohibits marriage between minors – persons below 18 years old – or between a minor and an adult, and also punishes persons who cause, fix, arrange or officiate a child marriage.
A new report analyzes the use of child labour in the textile and allied industries in India, and the drivers that lead to its prevalence. India, home to one fifth of the world’s children, has the highest global rates of child labour: an estimated 33 million children under the age of 18 are engaged in work in various sectors across the country, from domestic service and agriculture to textiles and mining.
The Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI) and Confederation of All Indonesian Workers’ Union (KSPSI AGN) have filed a legal challenge to the controversial Omnibus Law at the Constitutional Court, claiming that it violates workers’ rights and calling it modern slavery.
A group of workers in Romania has received its full wages, which had been withheld due to the pandemic. This outcome follows an intense media campaign, launched by the Clean Clothes Campaign, which went viral and put international pressure on brands to take responsibility for situations within their supply chains.
A new report reveals that the coronavirus emergency has worsened the situation for many migrants in Italy. More foreign farm workers are now reportedly being exploited, and many domestic workers have lost their jobs.
GFEMS has two new open positions: they are looking for an Associate Director of Resource Mobilization and a Grant Programs associate.
ChildFund is recruiting applicants for the Project Director’s position, for an anticipated project combatting the online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines.
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