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Undermining the Rights and Safety of Workers
every year in the mines. In 1996, Pik Botha, then South tions that employ them, the unions themselves are global-
Africa’s Minister for Mineral and Energy Affairs, estimated izing. In 1998, for example, members of the 20-million-
that in his country, each ton of gold mined costs 1 life and strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy,
12 serious injuries.48 Mine and General Workers Union (ICEM) formed the
In addition to the deaths and injuries on the job, mining can Rio Tinto Global Network to confront the labor practices
cause a range of long-term disabilities, the most common of of the Rio Tinto Corporation. Rio Tinto operates in 40
which are respiratory problems such as silicosis. Caused by countries and is the world’s largest private mining compa-
the inhalation of crystalline silica dust, a common air con- ny. The Global Network charges that the company has
taminant in hardrock mines, silicosis can develop after only employed union-busting activities, some of which might
seven months of exposure to the qualify as human rights abuses,
dust, and can lead to complete at mines in various parts of the
loss of lung function. It also world. Among the charges are
greatly increases its victims’ sus- accusations that Rio Tinto fired
ceptibility to other lung diseases, HIV-positive workers in
such as tuberculosis, bronchitis, Zimbabwe; that in Brazil’s
and lung cancer. Deep mines, Paracatu gold mine, it spied on
such as South Africa’s gold mines,
and fired union leaders, and
which reach depths of 3.5 kilo-
exposed workers to highly toxic
meters (2 miles), present their
own special set of risks. The levels of lead; and that it violated
extreme heat—up to 60 degrees Photo: ICEM
a two-day-old collective bargain-
Celsius (140 degrees F)—and the ing agreement with mass layoffs
high atmospheric pressure put miners at risk for certain in Utah. Although the company has signed the United
kinds of nerve damage and high blood pressure. South Nations Global Compact, a code of corporate responsibil-
African gold mines sometimes also extract uranium, thereby ity, the Global Network points out that Rio Tinto’s poli-
exposing thousands of workers to unsafe radiation.49 cies do not yet acknowledge basic ILO standards, such as
protections for collective bargaining.52
It’s not surprising that in some countries, the lifespan of min-
ers is substantially lower than that of the general population. But even though it is growing more sophisticated, labor
In Bolivia, for example, the average miner in the tin mines of organizing in the mines remains a difficult and risky busi-
Potosí will live only 35 to 40 years, whereas the general popu- ness. The International Council of Metals and Mining
lation’s life expectancy at birth is about 64 years.50 (ICMM), a confederation of the 25 largest mining compa-
nies, still does not recognize the rights of workers to bar-
Almost all governments have enacted health and safety reg-
gain collectively in its guiding principles. In some coun-
ulations that apply to the mining industry. But these laws
tries, such as China, Burma (Myanmar), and Laos, organiz-
are often poorly conceived and enforced. To help bridge the
ing independent unions is illegal. In Burma, workers are
regulatory gap, the ILO developed the “Convention on
not only prohibited from forming unions, but have some-
Safety and Health in Mines” in 1995. The Convention
times even been subjected to forced labor, such as at the
requires employers to “eliminate or minimize” safety and
Monywa Copper Mine, operated by the Canadian corpora-
health risks in their mines. It requires governments to over-
tion Ivanhoe Mines, where the ILO reports that in the mid-
see and report publicly on the implementation of such
1990s, nearly a million people were forced to build the
measures, and to suspend mining when violations occur.
hydroelectric plant and railway servicing the mine. Even
And it guarantees miners’ rights to form unions and to be
where unions are legal, they are often undercut in various
informed of health and safety risks and precautions. But to
ways. In 2001, for example, some 2,500 workers at copper
date, only 20 countries have ratified the ILO Convention
mining facilities in Kazakhstan were forced by the manage-
and have agreed to abide by its standards. Among the major
ment to join “house” unions—led by the director’s right-
mining countries that have not done so are Australia, Brazil,
hand man—or face dismissal. Sometimes the hostility to
Canada, China, Indonesia, Peru, and Russia.51
the unions turns deadly. In Colombia, which has the
Miners have tended to respond to this unfavorable regula- world’s worst record for trade unionist murders (one
tory climate by looking to each other for support. To killing every other day), 11 members of the metals, mining,
increase their leverage with the multinational corpora- and oil workers’ union federation were killed in 2001.53 ■
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