DR Congo workers for Feronia made impotent by pesticides - HRW
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25 November 2019
Workers exposed to pesticides at a UK-funded company in the Democratic Republic of Congo have actually complained of becoming impotent, a rights group has stated.
Feronia, which controls DR Congo's palm-oil sector, had actually failed to provide employees adequate protective equipment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
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The UK federal government's development bank, CDC, owns 38% of Feronia in DR Congo.
It said Feronia had actually invested heavily in protective equipment and all employees were needed to use it.
Feronia, a Canadian-based company, said it was dedicated to operating to worldwide standards.
The firm included that it had invested $360,000 (₤ 280,000) on personal protective devices in the last three years, which employees had actually been trained to utilize, and it had actually carried out a policy requiring the devices to be worn in the workplace.
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Feronia and its local subsidiary, Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), utilize thousands of employees at palm oil plantations in DR Congo.
PHC has received millions of dollars from the advancement banks of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
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"These banks can play an important function promoting advancement, but they are undermining their objective by stopping working to guarantee the company they fund appreciates the rights of its employees and neighborhoods on the plantations," HRW researcher Luciana Téllez-Chávez said.
What is HRW's proof?
In a report entitled A Harmful Mix of Abuses on Congo's Oil Palm Plantations, external, HRW stated it had spoken with more than 40 and two-thirds of them "informed us that they had ended up being impotent given that they began the job".
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Impotence - together with shortness of breath, headaches, and weight reduction that the employees grumbled about - were health issues "consistent with direct exposure to pesticides in general, as explained in clinical literature", HRW stated.
"Many [likewise] experienced skin inflammation, irritation, blisters, eye issues, or blurred vision - all signs that are consistent with what clinical texts and the items' labels explain as health consequences of exposure to these pesticides," the rights group added.
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Ms Téllez-Chávez stated employees who had actually been spoken with had permeable cotton overalls - not the water resistant overalls.
"If pesticides accidentally spilled, the poisonous liquid would likely touch their skin," she added.
What else does HRW say?
At the Yaligimba plantation, the company disposed the waste from its palm oil mill next to workers' homes.
The effluents formed a "foul-smelling stream", and ultimately streamed into a natural pond where women and kids bathe and clean cooking utensils.
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"Residents of a village of several hundred individuals downstream informed us the river was their only source of drinking water," Ms Téllez-Chávez stated.
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If uncontrolled and neglected, effluent-dumping could ultimately also trigger fish to suffocate and die, or trigger large growths of algae that might adversely impact the health of individuals who came into contact with contaminated water or taken in tainted fish, HRW included.
The rights group also accused Feronia of paying "extreme poverty" incomes, stating women were the lowest-paid, with some earning just $7.30 a month gathering fruit.
HRW stated the development banks should make sure the businesses they purchase pay living wages to their workers.
What is the UK advancement bank's action?
In a declaration, CDC said: "Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is an organic mix of natural waste oils and fats and has actually been discharged into rivers since the plantation entered into remaining in 1911 and does not threaten human health.
"A treatment plant for POME represents a multimillion dollar financial investment - money that the business has selected instead to invest on housing, clean water arrangement, healthcare and instructional facilities for staff members, their families and other members of the local communities.
"It is the goal of the business to develop treatment plants for POME, but is regrettably not in a financial position to do so presently as it continues to make heavy losses.
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"In addition, the company has actually reconditioned or dug 72 brand-new boreholes for the arrangement of tidy water in the last 6 years."
What does Feronia state?
The business said working conditions had actually improved significantly given that the participation of the European banks in 2013.
Employees were now paid significantly more than the minimum wage for agriculture in DR Congo and the average worker earned $3.30 daily - higher than what a local teacher would earn, it stated.
It also confirmed that it had invested substantially in access to safe drinking water.
"Feronia operates on a social mandate with regional communities. Without their support we would not have the ability to work. We acknowledge that there is still a lot to be done and are dedicated to running to international standards. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve these goals," the business included in a statement.
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DR Congo Workers for Feronia made Impotent By Pesticides - HRW
louisetej8083 edited this page 2025-01-17 20:01:57 +00:00