ITUC denounces cadmium poisoning in battery plants

ITUC denounces cadmium poisoning in Chinese battery plants

Brussels, 26 April 2007 (ITUC Online): Just days away from the 12th World Day for Health and Safety at Work, which sees the commemoration of the workers killed or injured at work over the last twelve months due to unsatisfactory production methods or working conditions, the ITUC has called for renewed pressure on the Gold Peak Batteries International Ltd (1) regarding the poisoning of workers with cadmium, which is a carcinogenic element. The ITUC is also hoping to draw international attention to the dangers of this substance.

The ITUC's world campaign, being waged in conjunction with its Hong Kong affiliate the HKTUC and the NGO "Globalisation Monitor", is targeted at the operations of three Chinese subsidiaries (2) of Gold Peak, which produces and sells batteries, electronic components and related goods. Its customers include well-known names such as Canon, Casio, Fuji, JVC, Kodak, Konica, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Ricoh, Sony and Toshiba.

The lungs, liver and bones are particularly prone to the dangers of long-term exposure to cadmium, which has long been known to be a carcinogenic substance. Nonetheless, when Gold Peak opened its factories in Huizhou in 1994, it did not provide its workers with adequate information concerning these fatal risks, and initially refused to provide them with protective masks. As a result, cadmium induced problems in these factories have already caused deaths, at least 16 confirmed cases of poisoning and over 400 other cases of excessive exposure to the substance. Six hundred other workers, mainly young women, have not been able to attend an annual medical check-up and remain in risk situations.

The truth about the real extent of the dangers of cadmium exposure is not yet known as the methods used by the local authorities and company managers to test for cadmium poisoning are inadequate and unreliable. The IMF (International Metal Workers' Federation) has, for example, reported that Gold Peaks purposely humiliates workers requesting a medical check-up: to give a urine sample, workers are forced to completely undress and take a shower whilst being supervised.

The local authorities have already fined one of the companies concerned, but the compensation it had to pay was derisory. Only a small percentage of workers with a diagnosed health problem have received compensation. Furthermore, although public pressure has succeeded in bringing improvements to certain factories, the ITUC is concerned about information according to which Gold Peak has subcontracted the production of nickel and cadmium batteries to other sites in the province of Yünnan.

The ITUC is calling for global action to be taken by trade unions, civil society, governments, and intergovernmental organisations in order to press Gold Peak to face up to its corporate social responsibilities, and to attack the international threat of cadmium.

(1) Gold Peak (Holdings), based in Hong Kong, owns 53.4% of Gold Peak Batteries International Limited

(2) Huizhou Power Pack Company Limited, Huizhou Advance Battery Technology Company and Shenzhen Jetpower Batteries Limited

The IMF (International Metal Workers' Federation) has published a new trade union guide concerning occupational cancers. It is available at: http://www.imfmetal.org/main/index.cfm?n=47&l=2&c=15709

ENDS