Oxfam study reveals exploitation of migrant workers in German supermarket supply chains; incl. company comments
Résumé
Date indiquée: 13 Jui 2022
Lieu: Costa Rica
Entreprises
Grupo Acón - Supplier , REWE Group - Buyer , Lidl - BuyerAutre
Not Reported ( Cabinets de recrutement ) - EmployerConcerné
Nombre total de personnes concernées: Chiffre inconnu
Travailleurs migrants et immigrés: ( Chiffre inconnu - Nicaragua , Agriculture et élevage , Gender not reported )Enjeux
Santé et sécurité au travail , Droit de se syndiquer , Liberté syndicale , Licenciement , Liberté d'association , Salaire impayé , Sécurité socialeRéponse
Réponse demandée : Oui, par Oxfam
Lien externe vers la réponse: (En savoir plus)
Mesures prises: REWE assessed the events as a clear violation of applicable law and the moral and ethical principles of the company. It announced that there would be consequences if the violations were unambiguously proven. Lidl was the only supermarket that disclosed its suppliers for pineapples, bananas, and wine from the countries in question in response to Oxfam Germany’s request. It stated that every direct and indirect business partner of Lidl was required to respect the company’s Code of Conduct if it wished to remain a partner over the long term.
Type de source: NGO
Résumé
Date indiquée: 13 Jui 2022
Lieu: Costa Rica
Entreprises
Del Monte Foods - Parent CompanyAutre
Not Reported ( Agriculture/alimentation/boissons/tabac/pêche : Général ) - EmployerConcerné
Nombre total de personnes concernées: Chiffre inconnu
Travailleurs migrants et immigrés: ( Chiffre inconnu - Nicaragua , Agriculture/alimentation/boissons/tabac/pêche : Général , Women , Documented migrants )Enjeux
Salaire impayé , Refus de congéRéponse
Response sought: Non
Type de source: NGO
Résumé
Date indiquée: 13 Jui 2022
Lieu: Costa Rica
Entreprises
Finca Once - Supplier , Lidl - BuyerAutre
Not Reported ( Cabinets de recrutement ) - EmployerConcerné
Nombre total de personnes concernées: Chiffre inconnu
Travailleurs migrants et immigrés: ( Chiffre inconnu - Nicaragua , Agriculture/alimentation/boissons/tabac/pêche : Général , Women , Documented migrants )Enjeux
Salaires de misèreRéponse
Réponse demandée : Oui, par Oxfam
Lien externe vers la réponse: (En savoir plus)
Mesures prises: Finca Once denies that it hires farmworkers over contratistas and claims it is in full compliance with the requirements of the minimum wage law.
Type de source: NGO
Résumé
Date indiquée: 13 Jui 2022
Lieu: Costa Rica
Autre
Not Reported ( Agriculture/alimentation/boissons/tabac/pêche : Général ) - EmployerConcerné
Nombre total de personnes concernées: Chiffre inconnu
Travailleurs migrants et immigrés: ( Chiffre inconnu - Nicaragua , Agriculture/alimentation/boissons/tabac/pêche : Général , Women , Documented migrants )Enjeux
Santé et sécurité au travail , MaladieRéponse
Response sought: Non
Type de source: NGO
Résumé
Date indiquée: 13 Jui 2022
Lieu: Costa Rica
Entreprises
Bellavista Fresh - Employer , Edeka Group - BuyerConcerné
Nombre total de personnes concernées: Chiffre inconnu
Travailleurs migrants et immigrés: ( Chiffre inconnu - Nicaragua , Agriculture/alimentation/boissons/tabac/pêche : Général , Women , Documented migrants )Enjeux
Discrimination fondée sur le sexe , Santé et sécurité au travailRéponse
Réponse demandée : Oui, par Oxfam
Lien externe vers la réponse: (En savoir plus)
Mesures prises: Edeka stated that it had no contractual relationship with the firms Upala Agrícola or Cítricos Bellavista. Oxfam’s research, however, was able to clearly trace the boxes of fruit in the Edeka store back to both enterprises using the GlobalGAPnumber printed on the box. One gets the impression that Edeka does not see itself as responsible for the abuses uncovered. The supermarket merely stated that all farms, from which their supplier intermediaries bought fruit, had to be certified by either GlobalGAP or Rainforest Alliance. It asserted that the governmental authorities in the producer’s country were responsible for investigating allegedly criminal conduct such as the payment of wages below the lawful minimum wage—a statement which once again underscores the company’s misconception of what constitutes meeting its due diligence obligations. Oxfam Germany has seen evidence of this misconception at Edeka for many years now. When pressed by us, the company finally said that it would take the allegations seriously and investigate
Type de source: NGO
Résumé
Date indiquée: 13 Jui 2022
Lieu: Costa Rica
Entreprises
Edeka Group - Buyer , Upala Agrícola. - Supplier , Lidl - BuyerAutre
Not Reported ( Cabinets de recrutement ) - EmployerConcerné
Nombre total de personnes concernées: Chiffre inconnu
Travailleurs migrants et immigrés: ( Chiffre inconnu - Nicaragua - Secteur inconnu , Gender not reported , Documented migrants )Enjeux
Salaires de misèreRéponse
Réponse demandée : Oui, par Oxfam
Lien externe vers la réponse: (En savoir plus)
Mesures prises: Upala Agrícola denies that it hires farmworkers over contratistas and claims it is in full compliance with the requirements of the minimum wage law.
Type de source: NGO
Résumé
Date indiquée: 13 Jui 2022
Lieu: Costa Rica
Entreprises
Jardín del Tigre - Employer , ALDI South - Buyer , Fyffes - SupplierConcerné
Nombre total de personnes concernées: Chiffre inconnu
Travailleurs migrants et immigrés: ( Chiffre inconnu - Nicaragua , Agriculture/alimentation/boissons/tabac/pêche : Général , Women , Documented migrants )Enjeux
Sécurité sociale , Défaut de renouvellement de visaRéponse
Réponse demandée : Oui, par Oxfam
Lien externe vers la réponse: (En savoir plus)
Mesures prises: LDI South claimed that it had no knowledge of the allegations concerning the Fyffes banana supplier Jardín del Tigre and entered into a dialogue with the company. It said it would, if necessary, conduct an on-site review itself.
Type de source: NGO
"No limits to exploitation – migrant workers in the supply chains of German supermarkets", June 2022 [German original published 1 March 2022]
For plantation owners and companies, migrant workers are cheaper than local workers. Moreover, it is often more difficult for migrants to stand up for their rights, as they not only lose their jobs but are also at risk of deportation. Therefore, they are most affected by human and labour rights violations such as violence and exploitation, especially women.
This research uses four case studies to trace the supply chains of large German supermarkets back to the farms and growing areas. Based on on-site research and interviews with workers, the situation of migrants in pineapple and banana farming in Costa Rica and in the wine and table grape sector in South Africa is examined.
The results of the case studies show: fruits sold in German supermarkets like Rewe, Aldi, Lidl and Edeka are grown under inhumane working conditions. Migrants in particular are exploited:
- Many workers receive significantly less than the legally prescribed minimum wage - even on certified plantations.
- Contrary to legal requirements, piecework of more than twelve hours is a reality for many workers.
- The study also describes cases of trade union repression, sexual exploitation, inadequate protection against pesticides and other labour rights violations in Costa Rica and South Africa.
The German supermarkets - above all the four supermarket giants Aldi, Edeka, Lidl and Rewe - exert enormous price pressure on the farms in their supply chains through their market power. This makes them partly responsible for the conditions on the plantations. But not all supermarkets are willing to take responsibility. Therefore, the German government must lobby at the EU level for a strong legal regulation on human rights due diligence. It also needs to ambitiously implement the German Supply Chain Act, which was passed in 2021.
Note: Oxfam wrote to all the companies mentioned in this study in February 2022 to ask for their comments. Responses can be found on page 30 and following pages of the report.