Image: Glencore.
BY ELIZABETH FABRI
GLENCORE has hosed down industrial union claims of ‘slavery-like conditions’ at its cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In March, IndustriALL Global Union published a ‘fact-finding mission’ report at the request of IndustriALL affiliate TUMEC which described harsh working environments at both the Kamoto Copper Company and Mutanda mines.
It alleged workers were only allowed 750ml of drinking water per 12-hour shift and were provided expired food and no “decent eating places” with protection against the elements.
It also claimed there was no “proper showers or ablution facilities” at the mines, and had been no salary increase for workers in five years.
The union said it had written to Glencore chief executive Ivan Glasenberg with a list of demands to improve the situation for the 15,000 workers at its DRC mines, and urged all car manufacturers – a key market for cobalt – to put pressure on Glencore to clean up its operations.
“Auto companies need to live up to their customers’ expectations that the electric vehicles they sell are produced responsibly,” IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches said.
“Cobalt from Glencore, which is so critical for the batteries in those electric vehicles, is anything but.”
Glencore strongly rejected claims made by IndustriALL of poor working conditions.
“The statement contains a number of unfounded allegations based on factual inaccuracies,” Glencore said in an emailed statement.
“All our facilities have showers and ablution points and we are working with unions and site management to improve access and the number of points on site.”
Glencore said its workforce also had access to anonymous complaints mechanisms to raise any concerns they might have about labour practices.
“Any complaints of discrimination, harassment or unfair treatment are fully investigated at site and where appropriate reviewed by the Global Head of Human Resources,” Glencore stated.
“We have a constructive and open dialogue with the labour unions present at our operations and have had no strikes or industrial action at Mutanda or KCC.
“In the DRC, all our employees receive, in addition to basic salary and annual salary increases, free general and occupational medical care for employees and dependents, free transport to/ from the workplace, payment of children’s education fees, and a monthly food allowance.”
The report followed the deaths of seven workers in 2016 at Glencore’s Katanga mine in DRC when the wall of an open pit mine collapsed.
Glencore said since this tragic incident the miner has conducted a full review of its practices and approaches, and introduced further safeguards to monitor and control safety risks.
“Since that incident, there have been no fatalities at KCC, while Mutanda has been fatality-free since 2012,” the company stated.
“We seek to engage with all our stakeholders in open and constructive dialogue.”
