Glencore accused of ‘slavery’ like conditions by DRC union
The Zug-based commodity giant was reproached for treating its mine workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) badly by the Swiss-based union industriALL to whom the local miners’ union were affiliated. Glencore rejects the accusations.
A few days ago, representatives of industriALL met with around 80 workers at the Kolwezi cobalt mines operated by Glencore in DRC. They complained of conditions that amounted to “no less than slavery” insudtriALL said in a press statementExternal link on Thursday. The workers mentioned regular threats of dismissal, poor health and safety practices, occupational diseases, racism and other forms of discrimination, low pay and lower wages compared to foreign workers.
In addition to employees, relatives suffer from illnesses because workers do not have the infrastructure to clean themselves at the Kolwezi mine. They only have access to drinking water in insufficient quantities. The hospital set up by the company was deemed to be too far away from the community. Workers also accuse the company of attempting to divide unions.
“We remain committed to maintaining open dialogue with all our stakeholders, including IndustriALL. To date, our operations in the DRC have had a positive relationship with the local union, Tumec. We reject IndustriALL’s allegations. The health and safety of our people is our top priority,” a company spokesperson told the British paper TelegraphExternal link on Saturday. The company has a “Modern Slavery statement” on its website.
Glencore is also the subject of a criminal complaint filed by NGO Public Eye last December with Swiss Attorney General’s Office. It deals with suspected misappropriations in the acquisition of mines in the DRC, but Glencore rejects any irregularity.
More
More
Public Eye issues criminal complaint against Glencore
This content was published on
Swiss NGO Public Eye has filed a criminal complaint against the activities of Swiss commodities giant Glencore in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Public Eye issues criminal complaint against Glencore
This content was published on
Swiss NGO Public Eye has filed a criminal complaint against the activities of Swiss commodities giant Glencore in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This content was published on
Swiss-based mining group Glencore has distanced itself from Israeli businessman Dan Gertler, implicated in bribery scandal.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.