Business & Human Rights: Health Mar-Apr 2002

What can be done about the private health sector in low-income countries? (Anne Mills, Ruairi Brugha, Kara Hanson, & Barbara McPake, in Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 80, No. 4, Apr. 2002)

One quarter of AngloGold workers HIV-positive -...Chairman Bobby Godsell said in a statement on Wednesday the company's Aids programme focused on prevention management, care for the infected and health research. (SAPA, in Business Report [South Africa], 24 Apr. 2002)

Woman loses three fingers in sawmill accident [New Zealand] (NZPA, 24 Apr. 2002)

DTI to examine impact of Aids in workplace [South Africa] - The department of trade and industry (DTI) will be approaching companies to gain a clearer understanding of the impact Aids is having in the workplace, its Minister Alec Erwin said on Tuesday. (SAPA, in Business Report [South Africa], 23 Apr. 2002)

Rally backs industrial manslaughter laws [Australia]: Thousands of workers massed outside Trades Hall in Melbourne this morning before marching through the city centre demanding support for the Victorian government's industrial manslaughter bill. The proposed new laws would make employers operating unsafe work sites liable to jail terms of up to five years, or fines of up to $5 million for companies. (AAP, The Age [Australia], 23 Apr. 2002)

New global fund shows world's resolve to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, Annan says -...To date, industrialized and developing countries, corporations, foundations and individuals have pledged some $1.9 billion to the Fund. (United Nations, 23 Apr. 2002)

HIV/AIDS: WHO Releases Guidelines For Developing World Treatment -...Carmen Perez, pharmaceutical director for the Doctors Without Borders campaign to make drugs more affordable, called the WHO guidelines "a very good victory," which "show[s] that treatment can be done." (UN Wire, 23 Apr. 2002)

W.H.O. Moves to Make AIDS Drugs More Accessible to Poor Worldwide (Donald G. McNeil Jr., New York Times, 23 Apr. 2002)

WHO Urges Global Drug Treatment of HIV: Guidelines Issued for Administering Triple Therapy in Developing Countries -...Triple therapy became widely available in wealthy countries in 1996. Since 2000, there has been a rising call to make it available to people in poor and middle-income countries, too. (David Brown, Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2002)

Justice sought for workers suffering from asbestosis [South Africa] [regarding trust fund for victims of Cape plc] (Sanchia Temkin, Business Day [South Africa], 23 Apr. 2002)

Time to phase out paraquat – Syngenta’s controversial pesticide - Workers and farmers regularly exposed to the pesticide paraquat, sold by Syngenta as Gramoxone, experience serious problems with their health...[urges Syngenta to phase out the production & use "of this hazardous pesticide"] (The Berne Declaration, Foro Emaus, Pesticide Action Network [PAN] Asia Pacific, PAN UK and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, 22 Apr. 2002)

Testimonies: Arjunan Ramasamy, Malaysia: Paraquat: Time to go! (Arjunan Ramasamy, Apr. 2002) note: this links to the "Syngenta" page on the Berne Declaration's website; scroll down that page for the pdf link to this testimony

Testimonies of Costa Rican workers recently injured by paraquat (Catharina Wesseling, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances [IRET], Apr. 2002) note: this links to the "Syngenta" page on the Berne Declaration's website; scroll down that page for the pdf link to this testimony

Paraquat: Syngenta’s controversial herbicide (written by John Madeley for the Berne Declaration, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Pesticide Action Network UK, Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific, Foro Emaús, Apr. 2002) note: this links to the "Syngenta" page on the Berne Declaration's website; scroll down that page for the pdf link to this report

Poisoned and Silenced: A study of pesticide poisoning in the plantations [Malaysia] (Tenaganita and Pesticide Action Network [PAN] Asia & Pacific, Mar. 2002) note: this links to the "Syngenta" page on the Berne Declaration's website; scroll down that page for the pdf link to this report

Paraquat [pesticide produced by Syngenta] in developing countries...Regulatory agencies have not fully recognized either the inherent toxicity of paraquat for human beings or the particular risks derived from exposures in developing countries (Catharina Wesseling, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances [IRET], and other authors, 24 July 2001) note: this links to the "Syngenta" page on the Berne Declaration's website; scroll down that page for the pdf link to this report

company website: Syngenta: Herbicides (Syngenta)

{···français} Syngenta doit retirer son pesticide paraquat (Déclaration de Berne, Foro Emaus, Pesticide Action Network Asie-Pacifique [PAN AP], Pesticide Action Network Royaume-Uni [PAN UK], et la Société Suédoise pour la Protection de la Nature, 22 avril 2002)
- {···français} Thèmes et campagnes: Syngenta (Déclaration de Berne)
{···deutsch} NGOs fordern Produktionsstopp des Syngenta Pestizids Gramoxone (Erklärung von Bern, Foro Emaus (Costa Rica), Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (Malaysia), PAN UK (England) und der schwedische Gesellschaft für Umweltschutz, 22 April 2002)
- {···deutsch} Themen / Kampagnen: Syngenta (Erklärung von Bern)

Horrific Work Death Toll Prompts Call For OSH Bill Urgency [New Zealand]:...The death of a timber factory worker on Friday brought the Labour Department official toll of workplace fatalities to 57 in the past nine months (New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, 22 Apr. 2002)

Teck-Cominco fined for accident at Trail plant [Canada] - Safety regulators fined Teck-Cominco Ltd. C$270,000 ($172,000) last week for an accident last year at the company's Trail, British Columbia, lead smelter that exposed workers to toxic thallium. (Reuters, 22 Apr. 2002)

Green groups rap HK over toxic mud at Disney park: Environmentalists blasted the Hong Kong government over a plan to clear dioxin-tainted mud from the site of a planned Disney theme park, saying moving the cancer-causing mud would be dangerous (Tan Ee Lyn, Reuters, 22 Apr. 2002)

TUC demands Ministers honour promises to stem rise in deaths at work [UK] (TUC, 20 Apr. 2002)

Unions prevent 40 workplace injuries every day [UK] (TUC, 20 Apr. 2002)

April 19th 2002 is a bittersweet celebration: AIDS treatment still reaching but a fraction of all those in need (Médecins Sans Frontières, 19 Apr. 2002)

HIV/AIDS: 30 Percent Of South African Work Force To Be Infected By 2005 (UN Wire, 19 Apr. 2002)

Aids shock waves galvanise mining firms: South African mining firms are looking at a unified approach to tackle Aids, one of their biggest unresolved challenges as the infection rates creep higher. (Allan Seccombe, Daily Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 19 Apr. 2002)

Tobacco Giant's New Smoking Gun [Australia]: A worker who complained about smoking in her workplace has been sacked from a call centre [contracted to call centre operator, Addecco] operated for cigarette giant British American Tobacco. (Workers Online, 19 Apr. 2002)

California jury finds companies liable for MTBE pollution: A San Francisco jury has found three energy companies [Shell Oil Co., Lyondell Chemical Co., Tosco Corp.] liable for polluting Lake Tahoe's drinking water with MTBE...The San Francisco Superior Court jury also found that Shell Oil Co. and Lyondell Chemical Co. hid information about the potential dangers (Reuters, 19 Apr. 2002)

US utility pollution kills 5,900 a year - study [USA]: Air pollution from eight utilities targeted in federal lawsuits during the Clinton administration causes an estimated 5,900 deaths a year...American Electric Power Co. was identified in the report as the company responsible for the most deaths at 1,400 annually. It was followed by Southern Co. at 1,200 and the Tennessee Valley Authority at 780 [other companies mentioned: FirstEnergy Corp., Duke Energy Corp., Vectren Corp.'s Southern Indiana Gas & Electric Co, Dynegy Inc.'s Illinois Power, Cinergy Corp.] (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 19 Apr. 2002)

Mining industry to critically examine treatment of HIV [South Africa] - The mining industry would decide within the next month whether it would embark on a collective feasibility study on the possible provision of anti-retrovirals to miners with HIV/Aids, the Chamber of Mines said yesterday. (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 18 Apr. 2002)

Massive campaign to promote ORS in North India -...Financial services group ICICI and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have joined hands with the Indian Academy for Pediatrics for a $ 1-million communication and marketing campaign to create awareness for increased use of World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended oral rehydration salts (ORS) in North India. (InfoChange [India]; sourced from Financial Express [India], 17 Apr. 2002)

Government Asked to Stop Asbestos Mining [India] - A group of medical professionals have urged the government to immediately stop mining and milling of asbestos in India, as it can cause lung cancer in those exposed to it. (Times of India, 17 Apr. 2002)

Three oil firms lose MTBE suit [USA]: A jury holds them responsible for Lake Tahoe well pollution -...Jurors also found that Shell and Lyondell Chemical Co. of Houston, the largest domestic manufacturer of MTBE, acted with "malice" in failing to warn consumers that the chemical posed an extraordinary environmental hazard. (Chris Bowman, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Ecologistas denuncian muerte de operario por imprevisión en construcción del OCP [Ecuador]: La organización Acción Ecológica denunció hoy que la imprevisión en la construcción de un nuevo oleoducto causó la muerte de un operario e hirió a otros dos. (El Universo [Ecuador], 17 abril 2002)

{···français} Prévention des risques industriels majeurs: la contribution de la CFDT [France] (CFDT - Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail, 17 avril 2002)

TUC [UK] welcomes MEPs’ ‘toughest approach yet’ to asbestos -...The European Parliament’s proposed exposure limits would reduce British exposure limits by between half and two thirds, depending on the type of asbestos concerned. (TUC, 17 Apr. 2002)

Tasmanian hospitality workers back critical review of anti-smoking laws [Australia]: Tasmanian hospitality workers working in gaming areas at the casinos, pubs and clubs want bans on cigarette smoking because they view the existing situation as an unacceptable threat to their health (Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union, 17 Apr. 2002)

EPA going it alone on utility emission rules - Democrats [USA]: Democrats assailed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday for charging ahead with a plan to relax air pollution standards for aging U.S. power plants without seeking advice from health and environment experts. (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 17 Apr. 2002)

Weedkiller makes male frogs into females - study: The most popular weedkiller in the United States [atrazine] can give male frogs female sex organs and other attributes, researchers said this week -...the study had implications for humans, especially children who have not reached puberty (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 17 Apr. 2002)

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Agencies Warn Of Risk To Children - A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Environment Agency says that up to 40 percent of global disease cases caused by environmental hazards are estimated to impact children under the age of 5 [refers to risks including synthetic chemicals, polluted indoor & outdoor air, road traffic, contaminated food & water, contaminants in toys, environmental tobacco smoke] (UN Wire, 16 Apr. 2002)

Children face environmental risks: Children across Europe have to cope with health risks they should not be expected to tolerate, experts say. (Alex Kirby, BBC News, 15 Apr. 2002)

Senate panel tackles ergonomics at work [USA]: Local woman with repetitive strain injury to testify as committee weighs employer rules. (Gregory Weaver, Indianapolis Star [USA], 16 Apr. 2002)

INDIA: Children Drawn To Harmful TV Dramas, U.N.-Backed Study Says [study found that parents often consider family dramas safe for children but cautioned that the shows are often violent and can harm children's psychological health] (UN Wire, 16 Apr. 2002)

Improving international food standards work - FAO and WHO launch independent evaluation with call for public comment..."In both developed and developing countries, the number and variety of food safety threats are on the increase" (World Health Organization, 16 Apr. 2002)

{···français} Amélioration du travail sur les normes alimentaires internationales : évaluation indépendante de la FAO et de l’OMS avec participation du public...«Que ce soit dans les pays industrialisés ou dans les pays en développement, des menaces de plus en plus nombreuses et variées pèsent sur la sécurité sanitaire des aliments» (Organisation mondiale de la Santé, 16 avril 2002)

Employers must assess workplace risks to pregnant women, EAT rules [UK] - The failure of a nursing home to carry out an assessment of the risk posed by working conditions for new or expectant mothers was sex discrimination, according to a recent decision made by the Employment Appeal Tribunal. (Equal Opportunities Commission [UK], 15 Apr. 2002)

Sitting Ducks: As polluting asbestos units and illegal mining thrive amid lax laws, lakhs of workers become easy prey for dreaded diseases [India] (Kushal P. S. Yadav, in Down to Earth, Centre for Science and Environment [India], 15 Apr. 2002)

Union urges workplace smoke ban [Australia]: Research by the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, with the Victorian Cancer Council, has found smoke-exposed workers suffer significant health problems. (Kristine Gough, The Australian, 15 Apr. 2002)

Thwaites rules out immediate smoking ban in Crown Casino [Australia] - Victoria's Health Minister, John Thwaites, has ruled out an immediate ban on smoking in all areas of Melbourne's Crown Casino and other hospitality venues. The Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union has urged the Government to move quickly to ban smoking from such venues after a new report revealed links between passive smoke and ill health. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 14 Apr. 2002)

Hospitality workers most at risk from exposure to tobacco smoke [Australia]: Hospitality workers most at risk from exposure to tobacco smoke: exemptions to new Victorian legislation may result in law suits, the LHMU has warned. (Australian Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union, 14 Apr. 2002)

Costa Rica has launched a "sustainable" coffee seal: Costa Rica has launched a "sustainable" coffee seal to be awarded to growers who protect plantation ecosystems, save energy, clean up waste-disposal, improve pest and disease control, provide healthy working conditions for pickers and reduce the use of chemicals. (Veronica Vega, Reuters, 12 Apr. 2002)

BAT must pay damages to Australian smoker: A dying 51-year-old mother of four has become the first cancer victim outside the US successfully to sue an international tobacco group, after an Australian judge threw out British American Tobacco's defence because it destroyed documents. (Virginia Marsh & Nikki Tait, Financial Times, 11 Apr. 2002)

Coal Mine Accidents Kill 31; 2001 Industrial Injury Statistics [China] - The fatal accidents provide a stark illustration of the grim state of industrial safety, in particular in the mining industry, on the very day when government announced its latest campaign against hazardous mine operations. (China Labour Bulletin, 11 Apr. 2002)

Olympic agrees to $75 mln pipeline blast settlement [USA]: Olympic Pipe Line Co. and other companies have agreed to pay $75 million to the families of two 10-year-old boys who were killed in a Washington state pipeline blast, a settlement the parents hailed as a strong signal to the oil industry that safety must come first (Scott Hillis, Reuters, 11 Apr. 2002)

Environmental Groups Urge Ford to Take Responsibility for Planned Destruction of the Environment in the Czech Republic: Ford Subsidiary [Mexican company Tenedora Nemak] Breaks Ground on Unspoiled Farmland, Risking Health and Environment of Czech Citizens (Environmental Law Service [Czech Republic] & Friends of the Earth Czech Republic, 10 Apr. 2002)

An Open Letter to Mr. William Clay Ford Jr., Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Ford Motor Co. (from Environmental Law Service [Czech Republic] & other environmental NGOs, 10 Apr. 2002)

Objections of Czech environmental NGOs to the investment plan of TENEDORA NEMAK, S.A. DE C.V. in the Czech Republic (Prepared by CEE Bankwatch Network Czech Republic with the use of documentation of the Environmental Law Service & Greenpeace CZ, Apr. 2002)

FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] warns sellers of nicotine lollipops & lip balm that their products are illegal: Today FDA issued warning letters to three pharmacies that are selling "nicotine lollipops" and/or nicotine "lip balm" over the Internet...FDA is concerned about the health risk of these products because they appear to be compounded and dispensed without a doctor's prescription, contain a form of nicotine that is not used in FDA-approved smoking cessation products, and because these candy-like products present a risk of accidental use by children. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10 Apr. 2002)

Chinese mine blasts kill 31: Fatal explosions have been reported in two coal mines in northern China, on the same day the country announced it was closing thousands of unsafe mines. (BBC News, 10 Apr. 2002)

Thousands more Chinese mines to be shut in safety crackdown: China will close thousands of small coal mines this year in an attempt to reduce the appalling death toll among workers in the industry. (AFP, 10 Apr. 2002)

'New' pesticides affect immune system, study finds: Pesticides developed in the hope that they may be safer than older chemicals known to cause cancer may be only slightly better, researchers said yesterday. (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 10 Apr. 2002)

British Budget Could Lead to Drugs Dumping, Says Charity: Tax incentives in Britain designed to increase access in developing countries to essential medicines could backfire by giving pharmaceuticals companies a free hand to offload unwanted, dangerous, or inappropriate medicines, according to a leading anti-poverty group [London-based War on Want]. (Penny Dale, OneWorld Africa, 9 Apr. 2002)

Accord on health and safety signed [South Africa]:...the signing yesterday of a new occupational health and safety accord by representatives of business, labour and government, committing themselves to minimise workplace injury and to securing a healthy and safe workplace. (Business Day [South Africa], 9 Apr. 2002)

Dow Shall Be Liable [India] - More than 500 survivors of the Union Carbide 1984 gas leak from Bhopal protested outside the Dow headquarters in Mumbai, accusing the Michigan-based company of double standards and racism (Darryl D'Monte and Nityanand Jayaraman, CorpWatch India, 8 Apr. 2002)

Working fears: Employees with cancer face 'uncertain state' on the job -...Many of the 8.1 million cancer survivors in the United States either want or need to continue working. But they are faced with problems that include not being able physically to do their jobs; losing their jobs and their insurance; not being open to promotions or changing their jobs; and difficulties in their relationships with supervisors and co-workers as they fight the disease. (Melanie Payne, Sacramento Bee [California], 8 Apr. 2002)

Bangladeshis scoop up dead fish:...Environment experts said that most lakes, canals and the Buriganga river around the Bangladesh capital had been polluted by harmful chemical and other wastes from hundreds of small and big industries which operate without waste treatment facilities. Many slum dwellers use the polluted water for drinking and washing, and suffer from a variety of diseases (Reuters, 8 Apr. 2002)

UMWA miners' union says safety regulations unenforced [USA]: A coal miners' union has accused the government of major regulatory lapses at an Alabama mine where an explosion last September killed 13 workers and at mines nationwide. (Jay Reeves, Associated Press, in Nando Times, 7 Apr. 2002)

Murder by fake drugs - Time for international action (editorial, British Medical Journal, 6 Apr. 2002)

Fake drugs pose health danger: Urgent action is needed to stem the growing tide of bogus medications that are either useless or actually cause harm, say doctors. The British Medical Journal [BMJ] says that the international community must act to stop the "murderous" trade...The BMJ says that drug companies have tended to avoid publicising the problem for fear of "damaging public confidence in medicines". (BBC News, 5 Apr. 2002)

Biotechnology's Third Generation: From Golden Rice to Anti-Viral Tomatoes -- Good Health or Good Marketing? (Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero, CorpWatch, 5 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Greenpeace plantea demanda contra banco que financia el OCP [Ecuador]: La organización ecologista Greenpeace presentó un recurso al Gobierno del estado federado alemán de Renania del Norte-Westfalia contra un crédito del banco Westdeutsche Landesbank para la construcción del Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados (OCP)...Para la experta, el oleoducto...destruirá las selvas del país y los fundamentos de la vida de los pueblos indígenas y de especies animales amenazadas. Además, según greenpeace existe el peligro de que, a través de derramamientos accidentales de petróleo, se contaminen los suelos y las reservas de agua potable. (La Hora [Ecuador], 5 abril 2002)

Trade unions call for comprehensive workplace measures:...With 160 million new cases of work-related diseases every year and 1.2 million fatalities (over 3,300 per day), ICFTU General Secretary, Guy Ryder has good reason to call for drastic workplace measures to address occupational conditions as a single largest contributor to the poor state of the world’s health...Asbestos is the single largest occupational culprit (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 5 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Los sindicatos reclaman medidas abarcadoras en los lugares de trabajo:....Habiendo anualmente 160 millones de nuevos casos de muertes vinculadas con el trabajo y 1,2 millones de accidentes fatales (más de 3.300 por día), el Secretario General de la CIOSL, Guy Ryder, tiene muy buenas razones para reclamar medidas drásticas que corrijan las condiciones ocupacionales a fin de que dejen de ser la principal razón de las malas condiciones de salud del mundo...El amianto es el mayor de los culpables ocupacionales (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 7 abril 2002)

{···français} Les syndicats demandent des mesures exhaustives sur les lieux de travail:...Avec 160 millions de nouveaux cas de maladies liées au travail chaque année et 1,2 million de décès (plus de 3.300 par jour), Guy Ryder, le Secrétaire général de la CISL, a de bonnes raisons de demander que l'on prenne des mesures drastiques sur les lieux de travail pour que les conditions qui y prévalent ne constituent plus la plus grande cause de la piètre situation sanitaire que connaît aujourd'hui notre planète...L'amiante est le coupable par excellence. (Confédération internationale des Syndicats libres, 7 avril 2002)

Parents of autistic kids sue drug firms, dental groups [USA]: The parents of a group of children with autism this week sued several drug companies and dental associations in the United States for allegedly exposing their kids to the neurological disorder in vaccines and dental fillings containing mercury. The American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association and drug firms American Home Products Corp., now known as Wyeth, GlaxoSmithKline Plc., Johnson & Johnson and Armour Pharmaceutical were accused of, among other things, negligence in 11 lawsuits filed in an Atlanta court. (Paul Simao, Reuters, 5 Apr. 2002)

Study Says School Buses are Health Hazards - Those yellow school buses that transport millions of children to school every day are health hazards, according to a study that targets diesel exhaust as a potential cause of widespread respiratory illness in children. (Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 3 Apr. 2002)

HIV/AIDS: India Announces New National Policy To Control Disease [prohibiting violations of rights to education, work and privacy of HIV-infected patients] (UN Wire, 3 Apr. 2002)

Across U.S., local governments fight large-scale corporate farms:...As they [factory-style farms] proliferate, so does concern that their concentrated manure is harming human health and environment, with its effects rippling as far south as the Gulf of Mexico, where manure runoff contributes to a dead zone in the sea. (Emily Gersema, Associated Press, 2 Apr. 2002)

Occupational illnesses on rise in China: Health damages and illnesses associated with poor working conditions are plaguing an increasing number of Chinese workers, as necessary protective measures are often ignored, according to China's health authorities...Workers in the industries of coal production, metallurgy, building materials, nonferrous metals, machinery and chemicals run especially high risks of suffering occupational illnesses. (Xinhua, in China Daily [China], 2 Apr. 2002)

Prevent Expansion of U.S. and World Bank Mine in Peruvian Farming Community - Recently, residents of the Peruvian city of Cajamarca raised their voices to oppose the expansion of a gold mine to Quilish Mountain, a key water resource for over 100,000 people in the city and valley. Despite local concerns about cyanide used by the mine and a municipal declaration that established Quilish as a Protected Area, the Minera Yanacocha mine (partly owned by Newmont Mining Company of Denver) has continued with its plans to expand the mine and is challenging this declaration in court, causing mounting concerns in nearby communities. (Oxfam America, 2 Apr. 2002)

company website: Newmont - Peru (Newmont Mining Corporation)

company website: Newmont - Environmental Management (Newmont Mining Corporation)

Loans for tune-up equipment to help Pakistan cut air pollution: UNDP has joined with the Government of Pakistan to set up a US$3 million revolving loan fund to help auto mechanics and vehicle service stations improve vehicle fuel efficiency, thereby cutting air pollution...The nine-member ECF board of directors includes UNDP Resident Representative Onder Yucer and representatives of the government, civil society and the private sector. (U.N. Development Programme, 2 Apr. 2002)

Farmer accused of torturing workers [Namibia]: The Police are investigating allegations that a karakul sheep farmer tortured two of his employees with a cattle prodder to force them to give information about the theft of 170 sheep. One of the farmworkers, Thomas Topnaar, suffered severe injuries to his testicles. (Max Hamata, The Namibian, 2 Apr. 2002)

Inco ordered to clean up polluted properties [Canada]: Inco Ltd. was ordered last week to clean up 25 homes polluted by its nickel refinery in Port Colborne, Ontario, in an ongoing dispute that has pitted the mining giant against angry residents of the small town on the shores of Lake Erie. (Jeffrey Hodgson, Reuters, 2 Apr. 2002)

Workplace Cacophony Leads to Compensation [Hong Kong]: Hong Kong's government plans to tackle at least one of these occupational hazards — making employees of mah-jongg parlors eligible for compensation for loss of hearing suffered on the job...In addition to mah-jongg workers, the Hong Kong authorities added three other professions to their list of dangerously noisy jobs: disc jockeys, waiters and bartenders, and workers in slaughterhouses who electrocute pigs. (Mark Landler, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2002)

TOBACCO: FIFA Denounces Link To Industry, Upholds WHO Agreement - Soccer's world governing body, FIFA, reacted strongly to news Thursday that South Korean tobacco producer Korea Tobacco and Ginseng Corporation plans to introduce a line of cigarettes to promote the World Cup this summer..."Tobacco has no place in football nor in any other sport, and any involvement of any tobacco company is entirely unwanted and actively rejected." (UN Wire, 1 Apr. 2002)

FIFA fury over S. Korean tobacco move (Daily Yomiuri [Japan], 30 Mar. 2002)

Company faces death charges [New Zealand]: A Hamilton company [Gremara Holdings] will face charges over the death of a roading contractor crushed by a seven-tonne road roller last year. (New Zealand Herald, 1 Apr. 2002)

Broadening the Corporate Commitment to HIV and AIDS [refers to positive steps by Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Unilever, Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, DaimerChrysler, De Beers] (Business for Social Responsibility, Apr. 2002)

Customtrim/Autotrim workers build campaign to demand action by US Department of Labor - Supporters of the workers at Breed Technologies’ Mexican auto parts plants – Autotrim in Matamoros and Customtrim/Breed Mexicana in Valle Hermoso – are ratcheting up a campaign demanding that the U.S. Labor Department move their workplace health and safety complaint under the NAFTA to the next level of review within the "labor side agreement" complaint resolution process. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

Alcoa workers win battle for member-controlled union [Mexico] - The war continues - On March 4th, workers at an Alcoa plant in Piedras Negras voted 892 to 592 to reaffirm their February 22nd vote electing a slate on independent candidates to lead the plant’s existing union. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

China: March evaluation visits to three giant footwear plants - Plant-wide health and safety committees involving production workers as full, active committee members have been established and are beginning to function in three large sports shoe factories in the Pearl River Delta of southern China. The plants involved are the Kong Tai Shoe plant in Longgan, the Pegasus plant in Panyu, and the Yue Yuen II plant in Dongguan City, which produce shoes for Reebok, Nike and adidas, respectively. The plants are all operated by Taiwanese companies. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

A glimpse of the future - Factory life in the "new China" - [China] has become a "capitalist paradise" of low wages, long hours, no member-controlled unions, no environmental or occupational health regulations, and no problem that cannot be solved with the discreet use of influence peddling and/or bribery. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

Seminar held in Jakarta on local and international OSH [occupational safety and health] resources - The Jakarta ILO office already has ongoing workplace health and safety projects in Indonesia, including trainings with employers and workers, as well as a library of printed materials in several languages. AMRC also has conducted trainings in Asia, including Cambodia, Korea and Thailand, and has health and safety-related printed materials. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

Materials and resources for worker trainings and other OSH [occupational safety and health] resources (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

Major reports on Mexico and global sweatshops (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

Government Failing on Carbon Emissions [UK]: Friends of the Earth demanded that the Government take urgent action to tackle carbon emissions, following the publication today of the latest provisional carbon emission estimates,showing an increase for the second successive year (Friends of the Earth, 28 Mar. 2002)

New partnership promotes business for women and HIV/AIDS education in Africa: UNDP and the Business Women's Network [parent company is New York-based iVillage] recently launched a new alliance to help expand women's entrepreneurship and HIV/AIDS education throughout Africa. (U.N. Development Programme, 28 Mar. 2002)

DJIBOUTI: U.N. Repeats Request For International Help To Stop Toxic Leak - The United Nations yesterday reiterated a request made by the Food and Agriculture Organization for immediate international assistance to stop toxic chemicals being stored at a port city in Djibouti from seeping into the Gulf of Aden and damaging local fish stocks. (UN Wire, 27 Mar. 2002)

Thirteen dead in Dubai shipyard flood: At least 13 workers are reported to have died in Dubai after a dry dock flooded with sea water...Officials at Dubai Drydocks, one of the world's biggest shipping repair facilities, said the casualty figures might rise as divers began rescue operations after the incident. (BBC News, 27 Mar. 2002)

TOBACCO: Treaty Moving Ahead, Difficulties Remain, Talks Chairman Says - The chairman of World Health Organization talks on a proposed Framework Convention on Tobacco Control said yesterday that negotiations are moving ahead but that compensation for victims and farmers and a proposed advertising ban remain major points of contention...The WHO says tobacco-related diseases kill 4 million people annually and that the figure could reach 10 million by 2030, with 70 percent of deaths in developing countries (UN Wire, 26 Mar. 2002)

GENETIC ENGINEERING: Natural, Modified Crops Inevitably Mix, EU Says - Potentially harmful genetic mixing between natural and engineered crop strains is inevitable despite safeguards in place, the European Union's European Environment Agency said last week in a new study. (UN Wire, 26 Mar. 2002)

{···français} L'amiante, une véritable épée de Damoclès [France]: Un arrêt de la Cour de cassation bouleverse le régime d'indemnisation des accidents du travail (Le Monde, 26 mars 2002)

US reaches cleanup deal at Alabama PCBs site:...Under the settlement, Solutia and Pharmacia have agreed to continue the emergency cleanups of area residences that are the worst contaminated. (Reuters, 26 Mar. 2002)

The Winds Of Liability in Bhopal [India] [refers to Union Carbide and Dow Chemical] (Dilip D'Souza, special to CorpWatch India, 25 Mar. 2002)

Trashing Water is Good Business For Water Companies [India]: In Chennai, a major port city in southern India, two sister companies, French multinationals Onyx and Vivendi, are working at cross-purposes. While Vivendi is in partnership with civic authorities to convert scarce fresh water from a public service to a commercial product, Onyx collects the city's garbage and dumps it in one of the most important freshwater ecosystems in the city. (Nityanand Jayaraman, CorpWatch India, 25 Mar. 2002)

company website: Vivendi Environnement (Vivendi) {···english} {···español} {···français}

company website: Onyx Environnement (Onyx) {···english} {···español} {···français}

Handful of US utilities pollute most - study: Less than 20 U.S. utilities produced half of the industry's noxious air emissions in 2000, showing that tough laws are needed to force companies to clean up their plants, a green group said last week...the report found that American Electric Power Co. Inc. , Southern Co. and the Tennessee Valley Authority emitted from 17 percent to 24 percent of harmful emissions in 2000. (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 25 Mar. 2002)

Toxic Trade? A Canadian chemical firm says California's pollution controls violate NAFTA rules...In Santa Monica...the groundwater is poisoned... a pollutant has leaked from the underground tanks of gasoline stations. The culprit: methyl tertiary butyl ether...As lawsuits against 18 oil companies drag on, California has ordered a phaseout of the chemical, and a dozen other states have followed suit...METHANEX, the Canadian company that makes a key ingredient of MTBE, is challenging California's ban under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement. (Margot Roosevelt, Time Magazine, 25 Mar. 2002)

Deaths of Hispanic workers soar 53% [USA]: The Labor Department is intensifying efforts to stem an alarming rise in workplace deaths among Hispanics...At least 815 Hispanics died on the job in 2000, mostly in construction trades and often because of language gaps between supervisors and immigrant workers (Jim Hopkins, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2002)

Nike greenwash over sweatshop labour - Following years of criticism over its poor labour and environmental standards, Nike claims to have cleaned up its act, even signing onto the Global Compact to prove it. But the truth is rather different, and the company’s recent behaviour is a textbook study in greenwash. (Sharon Beder, Ecologist, 22 Mar. 2002)

company website: Nike - Global Citizenship (Nike)

Piles of poisons: Despite NAFTA's green promises, hazardous waste problems are deepening in Mexico; Sustaining Livelihoods (Jennifer Clapp, Alternatives Journal, 22 Mar. 2002)

HIV/AIDS: Drug Companies Oppose U.N. Approval Of Generics - A group of pharmaceutical companies yesterday criticized the inclusion of generic drugs on a newly issued World Health Organization list of approved HIV/AIDS medicine, arguing that the cheaper drugs could lower treatment quality and even lead to drug-resistant strains...The WHO, however, says the federation's claims are unfounded...Medecins Sans Frontieres expressed support for the WHO's inclusion of generics. (UN Wire, 22 Mar. 2002)

Generic AIDS drugs on UN list: In a move that delighted activists campaigning for cheaper AIDS drugs, the World Health Organization on Wednesday made public its first list of drug companies that meet its quality standards, and it included a large Indian generic manufacturer and three smaller European ones. (Donald G. McNeil Jr, New York Times, in International Herald Tribune, 21 Mar. 2002)

Drug manufacturers: approving generic AIDS drugs could reduce quality (Naomi Koppel, Associated Press, 21 Mar. 2002)

United States announces intent to lodge settlement for comprehensive study of PCB contamination in Anniston, Alabama: Agreement ensures continued, immediate cleanup of worst-contaminated residential areas - The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency today announced its intent to lodge on Monday, March 25, 2002, a comprehensive environmental settlement with Solutia Inc., and Pharmacia Corporation, to investigate and address the serious polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination in Anniston, Ala. (U.S. Justice Department, 22 Mar. 2002)

Uzbek east suffers man-made famine [Uzbekistan]:...The babies are among thousands of victims of an agricultural policy, fashioned by the Soviet Union and pursued enthusiastically by independent Uzbekistan, which is creating a desert, destroying the Aral Sea, poisoning land, and cutting harvests. And killing people. Cotton is the main culprit. (Sebastian Alison, Reuters, 22 Mar. 2002)

Vehicle pollution major killer: Vehicle emissions are killing around 400 New Zealanders aged 30 and over every year, a report shows. (NZPA, in New Zealand Herald, 22 Mar. 2002)

Women plantation workers poisoned by toxic pesticides [Malaysia]: study - Two non-governmental organisations today called for a ban on paraquat and other toxic pesticides as plantation workers exposed to them suffered poisoning and developed serious medical conditions. Tenaganita and Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN-AP) said those affected were women plantation workers who sprayed these toxic pesticides. (Kevin Tan, Malaysiakini, 21 Mar. 2002)

TOBACCO: NGOs Accuse Companies Of Devious Tactics Regarding Treaty - As World Health Organization tobacco talks continue in Geneva, nongovernmental organizations yesterday accused international tobacco companies of using devious tactics to undermine support in developing countries for the proposed Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. (UN Wire, 21 Mar. 2002)

Clinton, Nevada's Reid seek link between disease, environment [USA]: Concerned about the unexplained growth in the rate of some chronic diseases, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Harry Reid on Thursday proposed creating a national tracking system to study the link between a person's health and their environment. (AP, in Las Vegas Sun, 21 Mar. 2002)

DJIBOUTI: Toxic leak "not a public health concern" - A toxic leak in the port of Djibouti is confined to the port area itself and has not become a public health concern, an environmental expert said on Wednesday. (IRIN - U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 21 Mar. 2002)

Don't use banned chemical, Thai shrimp farmers told:...The EU bans the use of nitrofuran in food-producing animals because of the risk of causing cancer in humans. (Reuters, 21 Mar. 2002)

Corporate social responsibility to be a new form of cultural revolution: SAARC Secretary General - Corporate Social Responsibility in South Asia would be a new form of cultural revolution and the corporate sector should invest, keeping in mind the medium and the long term interests, rather than the short term. This was stated by Mr Q A M A Rahim, Secretary General, South Asian Association of Regional Conference at a meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry...Mr Rahim said that development was a joint activity and should not be the sole responsibility or prerogatives of the governments. Stressing that issues such as economic welfare and upliftment, overall social improvements in sectors like education, health and sanitation, housing and employment required the full involvement and participation of all actors in the system... (Confederation of Indian Industry, 20 Mar. 2002)

'Corporate killing' law demanded [UK]: Families of workplace death victims were due in Parliament on Wednesday to demand the introduction of a corporate killing law. Relatives of those who died in tragedies like the Ladbroke Grove rail crash were also due to lobby MPs over making company directors legally accountable. (BBC News, 20 Mar. 2002)

SABCOHA [South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS] to provide information base for business in war against HIV/AIDS (South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, 19 Mar. 2002)

Report Diagnoses Ills in the Pharmaceutical Sector: A German rating agency reports that many pharmaceutical companies are failing to follow the example of the sector’s leaders in solving environmental and social problems...The report analyzed the 22 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, based on more than 200 social and environmental criteria...Denmark-based Novo Group and U.S.-based Bristol-Myers Squibb led the class with B grades. U.S.-based Pharmacia received the lowest mark, a C-. (Willliam Baue, SocialFunds.com, 19 Mar. 2002)

Environmentalists Sue over Transmission Lines from Mexico to US: Plan to evade US laws would pollute poor region of Mexico -...Earthjustice and Wild Earth Advocates, representing Border Power Plant Working Group, filed a lawsuit against the federal government today challenging permits granted to two companies planning to build electrical transmission lines from Baja, Mexico into California (Earthjustice, 19 Mar. 2002)

TUC hails Euro-Parliament move to protect workers from asbestos: The European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee today voted to cut in half the maximum exposure for asbestos proposed by the European Commission in its new Asbestos Directive. (TUC [UK], 19 Mar. 2002)

Legal Action Intensifies Against BC [British Columbia, Canada] Labour Minister: "De Facto Discrimination" Charged - Legal action has intensified against the BC Government over Labour Minister Graham Bruce’s secondhand smoke regulation 3/2002 introduced in January. In a document released today, the Labour Minister is charged with “de facto discrimination” which “authorizes and condones the poisoning of hospitality workers by secondhand smoke”. (Airspace Action on Smoking & Health, 19 Mar. 2002)

EPA to ease coal plant rules, pollution suits - Post [USA]: The Bush administration has decided to shift from a Clinton-era clear air enforcement initiative that led to dozens of lawsuits against aging coal-fired power plants, The Washington Post reported yesterday. According to U.S. Environment Protection Agency officials, the administration plans to unveil new rules that would offer incentives for reductions in toxic emissions without threatening legal action against plant operators, the newspaper said. (Reuters, 19 Mar. 2002)

Fifteen Sentenced for Killing 81 Miners in Guangxi [China]: On 12 March, 2002, 15 people were sentenced by the High People's Court of the Guangxi Zhuang Minority Autonomous Region to imprisonment and fines for causing a serious accident which killed 81 miners. (source - China News Service, in China Labour Bulletin, 18 Mar. 2002)

The New EPA: Protecting Polluters - EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] Administrator Christine Todd Whitman's Tenure Is Marked By Rollbacks and Missed Deadlines -...It’s no secret that the toxic chemicals being pumped into the air every day kill people, kill wildlife and permanently damage the environment...Thanks to foot-dragging by EPA, 80,000 major polluters -- each capable of spewing at least 10 tons of toxic gas and particles into the air each year -- are doing little or nothing to reduce their emissions. (James Pew, EarthJustice, in TomPaine.com, 18 Mar. 2002)

TOBACCO: WHO Calls For Globalized Litigation As Treaty Talks Resume - The World Health Organization today called for a global approach to legal action against the tobacco industry as the agency opened its fourth round of talks on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Geneva. The U.N. agency released a report citing litigation already being taken, particularly in the United States, for harm caused by smoking...The WHO said that pioneering cases in Australia, Norway, Bangladesh, India, Saudi Arabia and India "showed the potential for litigation to advance tobacco control" (UN Wire, 18 Mar. 2002)

full report: "Towards health with justice: Litigation and public inquiries as tools for tobacco control"...looks at past and current tobacco litigation around the world and analyses its impact on public health. The report says it is time to make the law, and inquiries into the behavior of tobacco transnationals, an integral component of the comprehensive global tobacco control agenda, in a way that advances both health and justice. (report prepared by D. Douglas Blanke, Director of the Tobacco Law Project, William Mitchell College of Law, for the Tobacco Free Initiative, World Health Organization, 2002)

{···français} résumé en français: Vers la santé avec la justice: L'action en justice et les enquêtes comme instruments pour avancer la lutte antitabac (D. Douglas Blanke, Initiative pour un monde sans tabac, Organisation mondiale de la Santé, 2002)

Train derails in Georgia, releasing toxic chemical [USA]: A CSX Corp . freight train derailed on the weekend near an Atlanta water reservoir, and at least one of its cars was leaking a hazardous chemical...Atlanta police and fire department officials evacuated residents and businesses within a half-mile of the area...at least four people, one adult and three children, were taken to a hospital to be treated for possible chemical exposure (Reuters, 18 Mar. 2002)

Billowing Rage [India]: The Sukruli cauldron threatens to boil over if the Orissa government does not act against the smoke-spewing sponge iron plant in the area...tribal women have held three demonstrations in Bhubaneswar and Baripada against Shiv Shakti Sponge Iron Limited (SSSIL), whose carbon monoxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions have become a nightmare for the 15,000-odd villagers residing in the Sukruli block of Mayurbhanj district. (Satyasundar Barik, in Down to Earth, Centre for Science and Environment [India], 15 Mar. 2002)

NHRC [National Human Right Commission] asked to probe Bihar child labourer's death [India]: The owner of a carpet factory in Uttar Pradesh has escaped unscathed despite brutal murder of a child from Bihar, and torturing many other kids who worked under him. (Child Labour News Service, 15 Mar. 2002)

Girl's Maiming Sparks Entry Plea [Australia]: Unions are demanding immediate right of entry provisions in the wake of a 10-year-old girl being mutilated in a Sydney sweatshop..."It is obvious that when you are required to give 24-hours notice you are never going to find a 10-year-old working a sewing machine," Tubner [Textile Clothing and Footwear Union secretary Barry Tubner] says. (Workers Online [Australia], 15 Mar. 2002)

Settlement talks in Alabama pollution case fail - WSJ [USA]: The Alabama Supreme Court ordered a halt to settlement talks in a lawsuit against Solutia Inc. , Monsanto Co. and Pharmacia Corp. after a judge threatened to jail company executives, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. (Reuters, 15 Mar. 2002)

UK group urges retailers to reduce pesticide levels: Exposing young children to pesticides in fruit, vegetables and popular nibbles like crisps may cause them serious health problems in later life, a report [by Friends of the Earth] urging retailers to eliminate such residues said this week..."Retailers should come clean with their customers by publishing the results of their residue testing - so far only the Co-op and M&S have been honest enough to do this," she [Sandra Bell, Friends of the Earth] said. (Veronica Brown, Reuters, 15 Mar. 2002)

China's poor pick profits from toxic tech trash:...Electronic waste can contain 1,000 different substances including lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury - heavy metals which are highly toxic...This brew of toxic substances can damage nervous, kidney and reproductive systems, while some of the metals contain carcinogens...Despite the Basel Convention, which in 1994 banned the export of hazardous waste from rich to poor countries, electronic waste from the United States and to a lesser extent Europe, South Korea and Japan has ended up on Chinese shores, environmentalists say. (Reuters, 15 Mar. 2002)

Urgent need to kick-start R&D for killer diseases in poor countries: International experts call for new public initiatives and global support - Research and development of new medicines for diseases such as sleeping sickness, kala azar, and malaria that kill millions each year in the developing world is urgently needed, according to a group of 150 international experts meeting in New York this week. (Médecins Sans Frontières, 14 Mar. 2002)

Latest pesticide results bad news for children: The latest pesticide residue results released today by the [UK] Pesticides Residues Committee show that processed food popular with children such as cereal bars often come with hidden pesticide residues. The Government wants children to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables but today's results also revealed worrying levels of pesticides in fresh fruit. Friends of the Earth released a new report today highlighting the health concerns for babies and children exposed to pesticide residues. (Friends of the Earth, 14 Mar. 2002)

Unions argue for safety investment [New Zealand]: The union movement's top body says workplace accidents and diseases cost more than $4.5 billion a year and tough new health and safety rules are urgently needed. Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson told a parliamentary committee yesterday that the present health and safety law had failed to improve the appalling workplace injury and death rate. (Kevin Taylor, New Zealand Herald, 14 Mar. 2002)

Ecuador Amazon Indians appeal Texaco-case ruling: Rainforest Indians of Ecuador and Peru urged a U.S. appeals court to reinstate nine-year-old litigation against Texaco, alleging that toxic dumping devastated their environment and exposed residents to cancer-causing pollutants (Gail Appleson, Reuters, 13 Mar. 2002)

Union fears Govt. backflip on smoking ban at Crown Casino [Australia]: The union representing hospitality workers said today it would step up its public campaign to force the state government to legislate to make hospitality and gaming areas smoke-free. (LHMU, Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, 13 Mar. 2002)

EPA reaches consent agreement with DuPont on plan to supply drinking water: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a consent agreement with E. I. Dupont de Nemours & Co. (DuPont), which would require the company to provide an alternate drinking water supply to residents in communities surrounding its Washington Works facility near Parkersburg, W. Va. if water supplies show high levels of Ammonium Perfluorooctanoate (or C8), an unregulated contaminant. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 12 Mar. 2002)

Spotlight on unions and women: Barbro Budin of the IUF [International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations] -...Women suffer from musculoskeletal disorders linked to repetitive work and this is a real scourge in both Northern and Southern countries. Some women become completely paralysed after a few years’ work, particularly in the food industry, hotels and agriculture...In agriculture, a new ILO convention should help us to fight pesticide abuse more effectively. These pollutants have caused many deaths and brought other serious health problems to women, such as sterility. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 12 Mar. 2002)

{···español} En primer plano: Barbro Budin de la UITA [Unión Internacional de Trabajadores de la Alimentación, la Agricultura, Hotelería, Suministro de Comida, Industrias Tabacaleras y Afines] -...Las mujeres sufren muchos más problemas músculo-esqueléticos vinculados a tareas repetitivas, que son un verdadero flagelo, tanto en los países del Norte como en los del Sur. Algunas mujeres quedan completamente paralizadas luego de algunos años de trabajo, principalmente en la industria alimentaria, en la hotelería y en la agricultura...En la agricultura, un nuevo convenio de la OIT nos ayudaría a combatir mejor los abusos en la utilización de plaguicidas. Esos agentes contaminantes ocasionaron ya muchas muertes y problemas graves de salud a las mujeres, como abortos o esterilidad. (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 12 marzo 2002)

{···français} Gros Plan sur les Femmes - Barbro Budin (UITA- Union internationale des travailleurs de l’alimentation, de l’agriculture, de l’hôtellerie-restauration, du tabac et des branches connexes): Les femmes souffrent davantage de troubles musculo-squelettiques liés à un travail répétitif, qui est un vrai fléau, autant dans les pays du Nord que du Sud. Certaines femmes deviennent complètement paralysées après quelques années de travail, notamment dans l’industrie alimentaire, dans l’hôtellerie, et dans l’agriculture...Dans l’agriculture, une nouvelle convention de l’OIT devrait nous aider à mieux lutter contre l’abus des pesticides. Ces polluants ont causé beaucoup de morts et entraîné de graves problèmes de santé chez les femmes, comme des avortements, ou la stérilité. (Confédération Internationale des Syndicats Libres, 12 mars 2002)

Concern over 15 Fiji gold mine deaths: One hundred and fourteen Emperor Gold Mine (EGM) injuries and deaths have been reported to the Ministry of Labor. (Fiji's Daily Post/FijiLive, in Pacific Islands Report [Hawaii, USA], 12 Mar. 2002)

Philip Morris Accused of Marketing Faulty Filters: American scientists accused international tobacco giant Philip Morris Inc. on Tuesday of marketing defective filters on cigarettes for 40 years. Researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, said the filters release potentially harmful filter fibers and carbon particles while people smoke. (Reuters, 12 Mar. 2002)

Pollution constricts blood vessels, study finds: Air pollution causes the blood vessels of healthy people to close up, which helps explain why high levels of pollution are linked to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems, researchers said Monday. (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 12 Mar. 2002)

Greenpeace action hits SPP shale oil plans [Australia]: Southern Pacific Petroleum NL said environmental activist group Greenpeace was undermining a demonstration project to develop vast Australian shale oil reserves...Greenpeace said the demonstration plant produced high greenhouse gas emissions, dioxin releases, air and water pollution and affected the health of local people. (Reuters, 12 Mar. 2002)

Rainforest Indians [from Ecuador] in New York for major showdown with Chevron-Texaco: Billions at stake as tribal leaders press groundbreaking lawsuit before Appeals Court - Assert Texaco ruined their rivers and land, destroying their centuries-old way of life...and dramatically increased the risk of cancer for tens of thousands of people. (Frente para la Defensa de la Amazonia, 11 Mar. 2002)

POLLUTION: High Altitude Latin American Cities Struggle With Emissions -...200,000 deaths a year in Latin American cities -- mostly among the poor -- are attributable to suspended fine particles, one of the pollutants emitted by vehicles [article refers to Mexico City, and lower-altitude cities São Paulo & Santiago] (UN Wire, 11 Mar. 2002)

Workplace deaths add fuel to union's safety campaign [New Zealand]: Two more people have died in workplace accidents, one a stevedore and the other a coalminer. The latest deaths come amid heated debate over the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill, aimed at cracking down on workplace accidents and injuries. (The Dominion [New Zealand], 11 Mar. 2002)

Brussels to step up anti-pollution drive: The Independent on Sunday's anti-asthma campaign has lead to a review of European pollution measures. Margot Wallstrom, the European Environment commissioner, has told national ministers that she will carry out the review in the light of new revelations that pollution from cars can cause the disease. She will then bring forward proposals for intensifying Europe's drive to combat exhaust fumes. (Geoffrey Lean, Independent [UK], 10 Mar. 2002)

Workers 'exploited' in Durban sweatshops [South Africa]: A 66-year-old clothing factory worker still bears the scars on his hands of being burnt while working at a pressing machine. The Phoenix father of two, who has devoted his working life to the clothing industry, is among scores of workers who are allegedly being exploited and underpaid by Durban sweatshops. (Prega Govender, Sunday Times [South Africa], 10 Mar. 2002)

Koo's Group faces protest [Taiwan/USA]: Activists are upset that the company is doing little to solve a lingering dispute between workers and plant management at one of its factories in the US - US and Taiwanese labor and environmental activists yesterday protested in Taipei City against the Koo's Group, urging the corporation to solve disputes [including labour safety and environmental issues] in the US surrounding one of its subsidiaries, Continental Carbon Company. (Chiu Yu-Tzu, Taipei Times, 9 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Los accidentes mortales en el metal crecieron un 25,7% en 2001 [España] :...Los fallecimientos en el trabajo crecieron un 25,7%, con un total de 88 muertes, según un informe del sindicato UGT elaborado con datos del Ministerio de Trabajo. (El País, 9 marzo 2002)

Worker dies in coalmine cave-in [New Zealand] (Karen Potter, Southland Times [New Zealand], 9 Mar. 2002)

Judge approves $9 million settlement in bioengineered-corn suit [USA]: A federal judge approved a $9 million settlement Thursday in a class-action lawsuit by consumers who complained of allergic reactions to genetically modified corn in supermarket products...The StarLink corn seed...had been approved by the [U.S.] Environmental Protection Agency for use in animal feed but not for human consumption...Aventis and Garst were defendants in the lawsuit along with Kraft Foods Co. of Glenview, Ill.; Azteca Foods Inc. of Chicago; Azteca Milling, Co. of Edinburg, Texas; and a sister company, Mission Foods Co. (Mike Robinson, Associated Press, on Environmental News Network website, 8 Mar. 2002)

'Drop your pants' outrage at Indonesian shoe factory: Oxfam says workers were put through humiliating examinations before getting the menstrual leave they were entitled to - Indonesian workers at a shoe factory supplying Nike and Adidas have had to prove to company doctors that they were menstruating in order to get their allotted sick leave. (AFP, in Straits Times [Singapore], 8 Mar. 2002)

FOOD SAFETY: Codex Commission Approves Guidelines On GM Foods - The Codex Alimentarius Commission, a group set up by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization to set guidelines for food safety, agreed on risk-analysis standards for genetically modified foods (UN Wire, 8 Mar. 2002)

Joint press release - Codex Task Force agrees on final draft of principles for the evaluation of GM Foods (Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, 8 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Conjunto FAO/OMS - Consensuado el documento final sobre los principios para la evaluación de los alimentos modificados genéticamente

{···français} Communiqué de presse conjoint FAO/OMS - Le groupe spécial du Codex parvient à un accord sur la version finale des principes de l'evaluation des aliments génétiquement modifiés

Workers Demand Independent Health Assessment [India]: Employees from the now-closed controversial Hindustan Lever Thermometer thermometer factory in Kodaikanal today condemned the company's efforts to stifle their right to demand an independent medical and health evaluation for the mercury contamination caused due to mercury exposure at the thermometer factory. (United Citizens Council of Kodaikanal, Palni Hills Conservation Council, and Greenpeace India, 7 Mar. 2002)