DR Congo workers for Feronia made impotent by pesticides - HRW
25 November 2019
Workers exposed to pesticides at a UK-funded company in the Democratic Republic of Congo have suffered becoming impotent, a rights group has actually said.
Feronia, which controls DR Congo's palm-oil sector, had stopped working to offer employees sufficient protective equipment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated.
The UK federal government's development bank, CDC, owns 38% of Feronia in DR Congo.
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It stated Feronia had actually invested heavily in protective devices and all workers were needed to use it.
Feronia, a Canadian-based firm, said it was devoted to operating to worldwide standards.
The company included that it had spent $360,000 (₤ 280,000) on individual protective equipment in the last 3 years, which employees had been trained to use, and it had implemented a policy requiring the equipment to be worn in the workplace.
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Feronia and its local subsidiary, Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), employ thousands of workers at palm oil plantations in DR Congo.
PHC has actually received countless dollars from the advancement banks of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
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"These banks can play a crucial function promoting advancement, but they are sabotaging their mission by failing to ensure the company they fund respects the rights of its workers and communities on the plantations," HRW scientist Luciana Téllez-Chávez stated.
What is HRW's evidence?
In a report entitled A Harmful Mix of Abuses on Congo's Oil Palm Plantations, external, HRW stated it had actually interviewed more than 40 workers and two-thirds of them "informed us that they had actually ended up being impotent because they started the job".
Impotence - in addition to shortness of breath, headaches, and weight-loss that the employees grumbled about - were illness "consistent with direct exposure to pesticides in general, as described in scientific literature", HRW said.
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"Many [also] suffered from skin inflammation, itchiness, blisters, eye problems, or blurred vision - all signs that follow what clinical texts and the items' labels refer to as health consequences of exposure to these pesticides," the rights group added.
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Ms Téllez-Chávez stated employees who had been interviewed had permeable cotton overalls - not the water resistant overalls.
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"If pesticides mistakenly spilled, the harmful liquid would likely touch their skin," she included.
What else does HRW say?
At the Yaligimba plantation, the business dumped 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 ladies and kids bathe and wash cooking utensils.
"Residents of a village of numerous hundred individuals downstream told us the river was their only source of drinking water," Ms Téllez-Chávez said.
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If uncontrolled and without treatment, effluent-dumping might eventually also cause fish to suffocate and pass away, or cause large developments of algae that might adversely affect the health of people who entered into contact with contaminated water or consumed tainted fish, HRW added.
The rights group also of paying "severe hardship" salaries, saying ladies were the lowest-paid, with some earning just $7.30 a month event fruit.
HRW said the advancement banks must make sure the services they invest in pay living earnings to their employees.
What is the UK development bank's action?
In a statement, CDC said: "Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is a natural mix of natural waste oils and fats and has been discharged into rivers considering that the plantation entered remaining in 1911 and does not threaten human health.
"A treatment plant for POME represents a multimillion dollar financial investment - cash that the business has selected rather to spend on real estate, clean water provision, healthcare and educational facilities for staff members, their families and other members of the regional neighborhoods.
"It is the goal of the company to construct treatment plants for POME, however is sadly not in a monetary position to do so currently as it continues to make heavy losses.
"In addition, the business has reconditioned or dug 72 brand-new boreholes for the provision of clean water in the last six years."
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What does Feronia state?
The company stated working conditions had enhanced substantially considering that the involvement of the European banks in 2013.
Employees were now paid considerably more than the minimum wage for agriculture in DR Congo and the average worker earned $3.30 each day - greater than what a local teacher would earn, it stated.
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It likewise verified that it had invested significantly in access to safe drinking water.
"Feronia runs on a social mandate with regional neighborhoods. Without their assistance we would not be able to operate. We identify that there is still a good deal to be done and are dedicated to operating to global requirements. We will continue to work relentlessly to achieve these goals," the company added in a statement.
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DR Congo Workers for Feronia made Impotent By Pesticides - HRW
mathew08f67294 edited this page 2025-01-19 09:53:29 +08:00