My Blog List

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Alcoa asks federal judge to dismiss bribery suit

Alcoa Inc. on Friday asked a federal judge in Pittsburgh to dismiss a bribery lawsuit filed against the company by an aluminum maker controlled by the Bahrain government. Read more: Alcoa asks federal judge to dismiss bribery suit - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Alcoa is a Global Compact participant since 2009/09/23. Alcoa was a USD 10,000 contributor for the Global Compact Foundation in 2010.

Canada’s Nexen to fight corruption charges in Yemen

According to government sources and former employees in Yemen, Nexen has engaged in “illegal” behavior as its senior management was trying to bribe their way through a production-sharing agreement extension, allowing them to retain Yemen’s most lucrative oil site.Read More on Bikyamasr.

More on the Yemen Post
More on the Calgary Herald

Nexen Inc. is a Global Compact participant since 2001/03/01

United Water Parent Company Fined $10 Million in European Antitrust Investigation

The European Commission (EC) has opened formal proceedings to determine whether French water services company Suez Environment has violated European antitrust regulations, according to a press release issued by the European Commission on January 18, 2012... More on Yonkers Tribune. Also read the official E.C. press release.

Suez Environment is a Global Compact participant since 2008/11/27.

Conoco, Cnooc Parent Reach $160 Million Oil Spill Settlement

ConocoPhillips and China National Offshore Oil Corp. will pay about $160 million to compensate Chinese fishermen for losses arising from oil leaks...
More on Bloomberg-Businessweek

China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) is a Global Compact participant since 2008/06/25. CNOOC was a Gold Contributor to the Foundation for the Global Compact in 2011, 2010 and 2009.

Tata prosecuted for endangering workers during gas leak repair

Two workers narrowly avoided being killed or seriously injured when flames up to three metres in length shot from a leaking gas pipe during poorly planned and executed repair work. Tata Steel UK Limited, registered to Millbank, London, pleaded guilty to two separate breaches of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations. The company was fined a total of GBP 30,000 and ordered to pay GBP 1,696 in costs.

More on Health and Safety Executive

Tata Steel is a Global Compact participant since 2001/03/09.
Tata Steel was a USD 10,000 contributor at the Foundation for the Global Compact both in 2009 and 2010.

Saint-Gobain’s CertainTeed Balks at ‘Common Sense’ End to US Teamster Strike

A month-long strike by the ICEM-affiliated Teamsters Union (IBT) in the US continues (...) The work stoppage by 90 members of IBT Local 25 in Massachusetts against Paris-based Saint-Gobain’s wholly-owned CertainTeed subsidiary began on 19 December over unreasonable demands to reduce workers’ health insurance benefits.

More on ICEM

Saint Gobain is a Global Compact participant since 2003/04/22.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Implats says 5,000 workers on strike at Rustenburg

Impala Platinum , the world's second largest platinum producer, said on Monday it was losing an estimated 3,000 ounces a day...

More on Reuters

Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) is a Global Compact participant since 2008/04/08.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

ICEM Intervenes in Saint-Gobain Dispute in US State of Massachusetts

The ICEM vehemently supports 90 members of the affiliated Teamsters Union (IBT) in the US, who went on strike last month in Norwood, Massachusetts, at CertainTeed, a roofing materials subsidiary of French multinational Saint-Gobain. Members of IBT Local 25 in the Boston area walked off their jobs when their contract expired on 19 December over unreasonable demands to reduce their health insurance benefits.

More on the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Union (ICEM) website

Saint-Gobain is a Global Compact participant since 2003/04/22
Saint-Gobain was a Gold contributor of the Foundation for the Global Compact in 2010

Pepsi to Pay $3.13 Million and Make Major Policy Changes to Resolve EEOC Finding of Nationwide Hiring Discrimination Against African Americans

Pepsi to Pay $3.13 Million and Make Major Policy Changes to Resolve EEOC Finding of Nationwide Hiring Discrimination Against African Americans

Pepsi is a Global Compact participant since 2008/11/11
It is also a 2011 Gold contributor of the Foundation for the Global Compact

Nike workers win overtime pay

Workers at Nike's PT Nikomas plant in Indonesia celebrated today after a subcontractor for the US footwear giant agreed to pay staff $1 million (£650,000) in compensation for unpaid overtime.

More on the Morning Star U.K.

Nike is a Global Compact participant since 2000/07/26

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

USW Affiliate in Québec Locked Out by Rio Tinto at Aluminium Plant

Workers employed by Rio Tinto Alcan, the global mining giant’s aluminium producer, were locked off their jobs in the Canadian province of Québec on 1 January in a dispute centering on the company’s ceaseless subcontracting. Some 780 metalworkers, represented by Syndicat des Métallos d’Alma Local 9490, affiliated to the United Steelworkers (USW), were thrown off their jobs at contract expiration at one of the company’s most modern plants, the Alma, Saguenay-lac-Saint-Jean region, Québec smelter.

More on International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) press release.

Alcan is part of Rio Tinto, a Global Compact participant since 2000/07/26.

Brazil: retailer Zara fined for slave conditions

"Brazilian prosecutors say they have reached an settlement with Spanish retail chain Zara that sharply reduces the fine imposed after investigators found slave-like conditions at factories supplying the brand."

More on Yahoo

Zara is part of Spanish group Inditex, Industrias de Diseno Textil, S.A., a Global Compact participant since 2001/09/19.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Sick miners want Anglo American to pay up

"Mponco and hundreds of other former mineworkers who now want mining giant Anglo American to pay up for exposing them to dangerous dust levels.

The London-listed firm's South African subsidiary is being sued on two continents in cases that could run into millions of rands in damages."

More on Mail&Guardian online

Anglo American is a Global Compact participant since 2004/07/27
Anglo American plc was a 2010 Gold Contributor of the Foundation for the Global Compact

Coca-Cola accused of propping up notorious Swaziland dictator

"The multibillion dollar beverage company owns a concentrate-manufacturing plant in Swaziland, an impoverished kingdom ruled by Africa's last absolute monarch, Mswati III.

The king has travelled to Coca-Cola's headquarters in Atlanta in the US, much to the disgust of Swazi political activists who blame him for human rights abuses and looting the nation's wealth."

More on the Guardian

The Coca-Cola Company is a Global Compact participant since 2006/03/14

Dutch pension fund puts Walmart, PetroChina on investment blacklist

Civil service pension fund ABP has put American supermarket chain Walmart and oil giant PetroChina on its investment blacklist. (...) PetroChina is on the blacklist because of ‘the activities of its parent company CNPC in Sudan and Burma’, the statement said.

More on Dutch News.nl

PetroChina is a Global Compact participant since 2007/08/01.

More on ABP website (Dutch)

Also read the discussion on the PetroChina case on the Global Compact website

Former Siemens Executives Are Charged With Bribery

"Eight former executives and contractors of Siemens were charged on Tuesday with criminal bribery in the case, the department said."

More on the New York Times.

Siemens is a Global Compact participant since 26-11-2003