With the unrelenting drive for the modern day business for profitability, these findings should not be surprising. Be it the garment industry (Canadian companies sourcing from South Asia, esp. Bangladesh & the Rana Plaza incident) or fishing industry (slave labour being used in South East Asia for the cheap fish we get on our food tables in North American & European markets) or agribusiness in North America & Europe, companies involved in these industries are always looking to reduce their wages / costs, & hence, they turn to abusing human rights to achieve that.
There will always be people who will exploit their fellow beings for their own good. Ethics & morals are out the window. After all, "it's nothing personal, it's just business." Poor have, are, & always will be exploited; be it sex slavery or product manufacturing slavery. On top of that, poor also don't get any protection from the justice system (as I blogged from a story on discrimination against the poor in US in the justice system) & other social systems to support them (education, healthcare, welfare etc.) are slowly getting out of their reach.
But, rich keep getting richer ... by killing the rights of millions of poor ... in foreign & in their own lands.
Now, as you may have read already, Europe has a migrant crisis. Thousands of migrants are flowing in everyday. Where those migrants are going to go for jobs? To make some money so they can buy some food for themselves? They are illegal aliens, after all. Ironically, they will be employed by these kinds of unscrupulous employment contractors / agencies to provide, effectively, slave labour, for these kinds of work. What happened to that modern world where there's not supposed to be any slavery?
Some critics of this will offer solutions like the public should eat local & organic food. Yes, that will avoid the problem of slave labour. BUT, we should not forget that locally grown organic food is also relatively much more expensive than imported food. Since, the majority of the general public is losing jobs (or have low-paying jobs) & with the recession in the world not going away for the past 8 years now, & governments' austerity drives everywhere becoming the new norm, how can general public buy healthy, locally grown, organic food, then?
Billions are given as state subsidies to industries in arms manufacturing & oil & gas, but then why can't a few millions be given to municipal governments to invest in local farms?
Others will say why can't these farm workers go back to their own countries. Well, as I blogged with another article about how developed countries (US, Russia, UK, China, Canada etc.) have increased their weapons sales to developing countries, so chaos, killings, & murderous rampages take place in those developing countries. Their public will then emigrate to these developed countries, where the majority of these migrants will be put to work in these conditions. There will be complaints & inquiries but "out of sight, out of mind." Soon, the general public in the developed countries will forget these poor souls & will keep enjoying their cheap shirts, fish, vegetables, & fruits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salads & vegetables in UK supermarkets are grown by migrant farmworkers who are underpaid, treated like slaves, forced to subsist in filthy conditions & regularly develop health problems associated with pesticides, an investigation suggests.
The deplorable working conditions were uncovered by a Channel 4 News investigation ... .
An army of migrant workers who produce vegetables exported to the UK said they are forced to work in unsanitary conditions & must use bushes close to where vegetables grow as a toilet. In the event nature calls, they said they are forced to do without water or soap to wash their hands.
Many live in dirty, makeshift shacks constructed from plastic sheeting & wood close to the fields they tend in southern Spain. They are hired by agencies to produce & prepare the vegetables & salads consumers see on supermarket shelves across Britain.
Some laborers say they are forced to work in the vicinity of noxious pesticides, which cause respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis & sinus problems. Others say they are regularly underpaid.
Prices wars & poor ethics
The revelations uncovered by Channel 4 News will likely shock British consumers, who are regularly assured by UK supermarkets that their food is produced & sourced ethically. However, critics say competition sparked by Lidl & Aldi’s low prices have prompted supermarkets in Britain to engage in exploitative practices in a bid to slash the cost of their produce.
All major UK supermarkets claim to source food responsibly. They are compelled to promote workers’ rights under a worldwide initiative known as the Ethical Trading Initiative.
Nevertheless, agricultural firms, which supply vegetables & salad to Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco & Asda are implicated in the allegations uncovered by Channel 4.
Reflecting on the ... findings, a group of British MPs called for an urgent investigation. They described the evidence uncovered by Channel 4 as “appalling” & that it reveals “slave labor.”
Out of sight, out of mind?
Channel 4’s allegations focus specifically on workers based in Murcia & Almeria in southern Spain. Each year, millions of pounds worth of salad & vegetables are exported to Britain from these regions.
The worker said other laborers for the company, located in Almeria, were also sprayed with pesticides, but didn’t complain because their names would be added to a blacklist known as “the list of rotten sardines.”
Channel 4 News’ investigation highlighted similar concerns about laborers for Agroherni – a large firm, which sells £22 million worth of herbs, salads & vegetables annually to leading supermarkets in Britain such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.
One ex-employee said she was left in horrific pain & required multiple operations on her sinuses, which were aggravated by working in fields where pesticides were routinely sprayed. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “All that matters to them is fulfilling their clients’ orders.”
Agroherni sources its workers from an employment agency called Integra Empleo, but the laborers claim the agency regularly fails to pay them. One worker said if staff work 26 days, the agency notes this period as 16 or 18 days – deducting up to 8 days salary in the process.
‘Supermarkets must explain themselves’
Reflecting on the allegations, Conservative MP Richard Drax, a former member of the Environment & Rural Affairs Select Committee, said: “If true, these allegations are appalling. It sounds like effectively slave labor producing food in 2015 which is utterly unacceptable.
“Supermarkets must explain themselves. It is up to them to know who is producing their food & in what conditions.”
Fellow Conservative Neil Parish, who currently serves on the committee, was unsurprised by Channel 4 News’ findings.
“There is always a price to pay for cheap imported food; whether it is poor quality, low animal welfare standards or, in this case, the appalling treatment of workers,” he said.
Both Agroherni & Integra Empleo reject all allegations leveled at them. However, both firms have launched investigations into the claims uncovered by Channel 4.
Agroherni told Channel 4 News it adopts strict practices when using pesticides, & is unaware of the incidents cited by current & ex-laborers. The firm denied that it maltreats or exploits agency staff, & stressed the just treatment & wellbeing of workers is a priority. It has severed links with Integra Empleo, & is now expected to employ staff directly.
A spokesman for the British Retail Consortium said workers’ rights are a leading concern for British supermarkets.
“Ensuring workers are treated fairly in our supply chains is a key concern for retailers. We know all supermarkets will examine these allegations closely,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Tesco told RT it has requested its suppliers “suspend all imports from Agroherni.”
“Our suppliers will only resume working with [related firms] when we are confident the issues have been properly addressed,” she said.
“Our standards make it crystal clear that we expect suppliers to treat their employees fairly. Suppliers who work with Tesco know that compliance with our standards are a non-negotiable part of our long term partnership,” she added.
A spokesman for Sainsbury’s confirmed the supermarket will conduct an in-house probe into the allegations.
“We expect our suppliers to adhere to the highest quality & welfare standards, regardless of where they operate in the world. We are taking these allegations very seriously & will be conducting our own investigation,” he said.
A spokesman for Waitrose also confirmed the supermarket plans to carry out an internal investigation into the claims.
“Worker welfare is very important to us – our supplier is investigating these allegations & will ensure that our high standards are being met,” he said.
There will always be people who will exploit their fellow beings for their own good. Ethics & morals are out the window. After all, "it's nothing personal, it's just business." Poor have, are, & always will be exploited; be it sex slavery or product manufacturing slavery. On top of that, poor also don't get any protection from the justice system (as I blogged from a story on discrimination against the poor in US in the justice system) & other social systems to support them (education, healthcare, welfare etc.) are slowly getting out of their reach.
But, rich keep getting richer ... by killing the rights of millions of poor ... in foreign & in their own lands.
Now, as you may have read already, Europe has a migrant crisis. Thousands of migrants are flowing in everyday. Where those migrants are going to go for jobs? To make some money so they can buy some food for themselves? They are illegal aliens, after all. Ironically, they will be employed by these kinds of unscrupulous employment contractors / agencies to provide, effectively, slave labour, for these kinds of work. What happened to that modern world where there's not supposed to be any slavery?
Some critics of this will offer solutions like the public should eat local & organic food. Yes, that will avoid the problem of slave labour. BUT, we should not forget that locally grown organic food is also relatively much more expensive than imported food. Since, the majority of the general public is losing jobs (or have low-paying jobs) & with the recession in the world not going away for the past 8 years now, & governments' austerity drives everywhere becoming the new norm, how can general public buy healthy, locally grown, organic food, then?
Billions are given as state subsidies to industries in arms manufacturing & oil & gas, but then why can't a few millions be given to municipal governments to invest in local farms?
Others will say why can't these farm workers go back to their own countries. Well, as I blogged with another article about how developed countries (US, Russia, UK, China, Canada etc.) have increased their weapons sales to developing countries, so chaos, killings, & murderous rampages take place in those developing countries. Their public will then emigrate to these developed countries, where the majority of these migrants will be put to work in these conditions. There will be complaints & inquiries but "out of sight, out of mind." Soon, the general public in the developed countries will forget these poor souls & will keep enjoying their cheap shirts, fish, vegetables, & fruits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salads & vegetables in UK supermarkets are grown by migrant farmworkers who are underpaid, treated like slaves, forced to subsist in filthy conditions & regularly develop health problems associated with pesticides, an investigation suggests.
The deplorable working conditions were uncovered by a Channel 4 News investigation ... .
An army of migrant workers who produce vegetables exported to the UK said they are forced to work in unsanitary conditions & must use bushes close to where vegetables grow as a toilet. In the event nature calls, they said they are forced to do without water or soap to wash their hands.
Many live in dirty, makeshift shacks constructed from plastic sheeting & wood close to the fields they tend in southern Spain. They are hired by agencies to produce & prepare the vegetables & salads consumers see on supermarket shelves across Britain.
Some laborers say they are forced to work in the vicinity of noxious pesticides, which cause respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis & sinus problems. Others say they are regularly underpaid.
Prices wars & poor ethics
The revelations uncovered by Channel 4 News will likely shock British consumers, who are regularly assured by UK supermarkets that their food is produced & sourced ethically. However, critics say competition sparked by Lidl & Aldi’s low prices have prompted supermarkets in Britain to engage in exploitative practices in a bid to slash the cost of their produce.
All major UK supermarkets claim to source food responsibly. They are compelled to promote workers’ rights under a worldwide initiative known as the Ethical Trading Initiative.
Nevertheless, agricultural firms, which supply vegetables & salad to Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco & Asda are implicated in the allegations uncovered by Channel 4.
Reflecting on the ... findings, a group of British MPs called for an urgent investigation. They described the evidence uncovered by Channel 4 as “appalling” & that it reveals “slave labor.”
Out of sight, out of mind?
Channel 4’s allegations focus specifically on workers based in Murcia & Almeria in southern Spain. Each year, millions of pounds worth of salad & vegetables are exported to Britain from these regions.
The worker said other laborers for the company, located in Almeria, were also sprayed with pesticides, but didn’t complain because their names would be added to a blacklist known as “the list of rotten sardines.”
Channel 4 News’ investigation highlighted similar concerns about laborers for Agroherni – a large firm, which sells £22 million worth of herbs, salads & vegetables annually to leading supermarkets in Britain such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.
One ex-employee said she was left in horrific pain & required multiple operations on her sinuses, which were aggravated by working in fields where pesticides were routinely sprayed. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “All that matters to them is fulfilling their clients’ orders.”
Agroherni sources its workers from an employment agency called Integra Empleo, but the laborers claim the agency regularly fails to pay them. One worker said if staff work 26 days, the agency notes this period as 16 or 18 days – deducting up to 8 days salary in the process.
‘Supermarkets must explain themselves’
Reflecting on the allegations, Conservative MP Richard Drax, a former member of the Environment & Rural Affairs Select Committee, said: “If true, these allegations are appalling. It sounds like effectively slave labor producing food in 2015 which is utterly unacceptable.
“Supermarkets must explain themselves. It is up to them to know who is producing their food & in what conditions.”
Fellow Conservative Neil Parish, who currently serves on the committee, was unsurprised by Channel 4 News’ findings.
“There is always a price to pay for cheap imported food; whether it is poor quality, low animal welfare standards or, in this case, the appalling treatment of workers,” he said.
Both Agroherni & Integra Empleo reject all allegations leveled at them. However, both firms have launched investigations into the claims uncovered by Channel 4.
Agroherni told Channel 4 News it adopts strict practices when using pesticides, & is unaware of the incidents cited by current & ex-laborers. The firm denied that it maltreats or exploits agency staff, & stressed the just treatment & wellbeing of workers is a priority. It has severed links with Integra Empleo, & is now expected to employ staff directly.
A spokesman for the British Retail Consortium said workers’ rights are a leading concern for British supermarkets.
“Ensuring workers are treated fairly in our supply chains is a key concern for retailers. We know all supermarkets will examine these allegations closely,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Tesco told RT it has requested its suppliers “suspend all imports from Agroherni.”
“Our suppliers will only resume working with [related firms] when we are confident the issues have been properly addressed,” she said.
“Our standards make it crystal clear that we expect suppliers to treat their employees fairly. Suppliers who work with Tesco know that compliance with our standards are a non-negotiable part of our long term partnership,” she added.
A spokesman for Sainsbury’s confirmed the supermarket will conduct an in-house probe into the allegations.
“We expect our suppliers to adhere to the highest quality & welfare standards, regardless of where they operate in the world. We are taking these allegations very seriously & will be conducting our own investigation,” he said.
A spokesman for Waitrose also confirmed the supermarket plans to carry out an internal investigation into the claims.
“Worker welfare is very important to us – our supplier is investigating these allegations & will ensure that our high standards are being met,” he said.
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