Apple, Microsoft, Tesla and other technology giants accused of child labor
International rights advocacy organization International Rights Advocates filed a class action lawsuit against five American technology giants Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, Dell Technologies and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) in a Washington court. They are accused of gross exploitation of child labor.
The class action lawsuit is based on the lawsuits of 14 anonymous people who are relatives of children who died during cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reports IRAdvocates.
Cobalt is now often used in the manufacture of batteries for various gadgets, as well as batteries for electric vehicles. In DR Congo, according to the latest available data, more than 65% of the world's cobalt reserves are contained. However, its extraction in this country is constantly criticized for massive violations of the rights of the people who are involved in it, in particular because of neglect of the elementary rules of safety and exploitation of child labor.
The authors of the class action claim that the children who mine cobalt ore in the Congo work “in the Stone Age”. Minors receive two to three US dollars per month for exhausting work under inhuman conditions, human rights activists say. The plaintiffs gathered evidence that technology giants benefited from the exploitation of child labor in the extraction of cobalt in the Congo.
The lawsuit specifically states that cobalt is from mines owned by Glencore, which sells it to Umicore, a trader, to technology companies.
Glencore assures that they do not use child labor. However, plaintiffs claim that Apple, Google, Tesla, Microsoft, and Dell knew that they used illegal child labor in hazardous conditions to mine cobalt in the Congo. It is the inaction of corporations in the lawsuit that is called the cause of death and injuries of children.
Previously, a teacher from an isolated Himalayan village was able to fulfill the dream your students. He organized a Quidditch magic match for them.
The class action lawsuit is based on the lawsuits of 14 anonymous people who are relatives of children who died during cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reports IRAdvocates.
Cobalt is now often used in the manufacture of batteries for various gadgets, as well as batteries for electric vehicles. In DR Congo, according to the latest available data, more than 65% of the world's cobalt reserves are contained. However, its extraction in this country is constantly criticized for massive violations of the rights of the people who are involved in it, in particular because of neglect of the elementary rules of safety and exploitation of child labor.
The authors of the class action claim that the children who mine cobalt ore in the Congo work “in the Stone Age”. Minors receive two to three US dollars per month for exhausting work under inhuman conditions, human rights activists say. The plaintiffs gathered evidence that technology giants benefited from the exploitation of child labor in the extraction of cobalt in the Congo.
The lawsuit specifically states that cobalt is from mines owned by Glencore, which sells it to Umicore, a trader, to technology companies.
Glencore assures that they do not use child labor. However, plaintiffs claim that Apple, Google, Tesla, Microsoft, and Dell knew that they used illegal child labor in hazardous conditions to mine cobalt in the Congo. It is the inaction of corporations in the lawsuit that is called the cause of death and injuries of children.
Previously, a teacher from an isolated Himalayan village was able to fulfill the dream your students. He organized a Quidditch magic match for them.
