Search EthicalCorp.com
Ethical Corporation Magazine: Click cover to browse latest issue
• Kevin Rudd
A PM forced out
• Wal-Mart
Trying to quash $7k fine?
• G20 protests
Activists change tack
• Low energy aviation
Flying close to the sun
Powerful communication
- Markus Reichardt, South Africa writer, 8 February 2008
- Download as PDF
- Comment
- Send this article to a friend
- Tweet this article
Related articles:
EthicsWatch:
Extractive industry – NGOs undermining their own cause
IT companies are under pressure over the impacts of metal extraction, but critics will have to tighten up their methods if their claims are to stick
Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola and Microsoft stand accused of fuelling armed conflict, worker exploitation and environmental destruction in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) because of their demand for tin – used in soldering components to circuit boards in mobile phones and other consumer electronics.
And, according to campaigners MakeITfair, demand from these brands for the precious platinum group of metals is contributing to the forced removal of communities in South Africa to make way for mines.
Upcoming Ethical Corporation conferences & events:
2–3 November 2010, London Learn CSR best practice from multinational CEOs and 450 of your peers at Europe’s largest sustainability conference
3–4 May 2011, London Find out how M&S, Alstom, Cadbury, P&G engage their suppliers in sustainability - and saved £££s
9–10 November 2010, London
Ethical Corporation's new report “Social and economic impact: measurement, evaluation and reporting” is a must-have guide for companies operating in emerging markets and vulnerable communities. The 100-page exclusive report features case studies of:
Heineken * Vodafone * SAB Miller * Tata * Unilever * Nike * RBS and Coca Cola.
Click here to download your free report summary
© Copyright Ethical Corporation 2009
You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from EthicalCorp.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Please note that your account is for use by the subscriber only. Your login details should not be passed on to others. If you would like to license EC copyrighted content for your company or clients, please contact Andrew Bold on andrew.bold@ethicalcorp.com.
Sign up to weekly e-Brief
Conferences
- Learn vital anti-corruption, ethics and compliance best practice and strategies at foremost European Summit
2–3 November 2010, London - Find out how M&S, Alstom, Cadbury, P&G engage their suppliers in sustainability - and saved £££s
9–10 November 2010, London - How to advance sustainability reporting to the next level of stakeholder engagement
25–26 November 2010, London - FROM OUR SISTER COMPANY
How to use social media for better marketing and communications for your business – new European focus
18–19 November 2010, London - Water – benchmarks, standards and proven strategies for better management, risk mitigation and efficiency
8–9 December 2010, London - Learn CSR best practice from multinational CEOs and 450 of your peers at Europe’s largest sustainability conference
3–4 May 2011, London - Find out about upcoming events, subscribe to EC conference updates
Comments:
Mining for electronics: NGOs asking electronics companies to take responsibility - Esther de Haan, 19 Feb 2008
Second part of comment:
SOMO is disappointed by Ethical Corporation’s decision to publish such an unbalanced article written by a mining industry consultant and former employee of Anglo American, the mother company of Anglo Platinum. It is not surprising that the article is one-sided and simply repeats Anglo Platinum’s response to the criticism of organisations working on platinum mining, without further thought, research or interviews. Ethical Corporation’s article could have addressed the severe issues detailed in the research reports, such as child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mine cobalt for batteries; contract workers in South Africa working in platinum mines without much health and safety training and for poverty wages; and tin mining in Indonesia creating environmental disasters. And the article could have addressed the efforts of the organisations within makeITfair that are calling upon electronics companies to improve these conditions.
Instead the article focused on a spelling mistake in an unpublished draft report and pointed out sectors the research reports on the responsibility of electronics brands for their supply chain did not address, such as catalytic converters for the car industry.
Esther de Haan and Tim Steinweg
Researchers SOMO
info@somo.nl
www.somo.nl
Bench Marks Report - David van Wyk, 28 Sep 2009
Platinum and silicosis. The authors of the above report happily quotes Mr Randera of the South African Chamber of Mines regarding silicosis - it is like asking a wolf to guard sheep! silicosis is very similar to platinosis - the well know human rights lawyer Richard Spoor has informed me of many cases of platinosis at platinum processing plants. There are at least two silica mines in the Magaliesberg and one of these is located just west of Rustenburg on the Phokeng turn off from the N12 platinum highway.
Angloplatinum has in the mean time approached the Bench Marks Foundation in order to improve its community engagements!
Post your comment by using the form below: