Big tech firms face lawsuit
AUS lawsuit has been filed accusing several of the world’s biggest technology companies – Apple, Dell, Google, Microsoft and Tesla – of ‘‘knowingly benefiting from and aiding and abetting the cruel and brutal use of young children’’ to mine cobalt in dangerous conditions.
International Rights Advocates, a humans rights firm, has filed the legal case on behalf of 14 families working in mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The lawsuit claims the companies’ demand for cobalt – a chemical element that’s essential in lithium batteries – had forced children to work in unsafe conditions that resulted in death and serious injury.
The families claim that children were working illegally for United Kingdom mining company Glencore, which then sells cobalt to a Belgian company, Umicore, which supplies Apple, Dell, Google, Microsoft and Tesla.
Court documents describe how families were paid US$2 (NZ$3.02) a day for working in dangerous conditions. And that the companies had ‘‘specific knowledge’’ the cobalt they were buying was linked to child labour and unsafe working conditions.
Apple has released the following statement referring to the safety of workers in its supply chain: ‘‘Apple is deeply committed to the responsible sourcing of materials that go into our products. We’ve led the industry by establishing the strictest standards for our suppliers and are constantly working to raise the bar for ourselves, and the industry.
‘‘In 2014, we were the first to start mapping our cobalt supply chain to the mine level and since 2016, we have published a full list of our identified cobalt refiners every year, 100 per cent of which are participating in independent thirdparty audits.
‘‘If a refiner is unable or unwilling to meet our standards, they will be removed from our supply chain. We’ve removed six cobalt refiners in 2019.’’
Likewise, Dell said: ‘‘Dell Technologies is committed to the responsible sourcing of minerals, which includes upholding the human rights of workers at any tier of our supply chain and treating them with dignity and respect.
‘‘We’re currently investigating these allegations, and have informed the Responsible Minerals Initiative as part of their grievance mechanism.’’
Microsoft, Google and Tesla have not released comments.
The DRC produces 60 per cent of the world’s cobalt, a figure that is expected to double by the end of next year.