Nestle admits getting fish from workers sold or forced into labor in Thailand

[Omaha Steve]

Source: LA Times

Impoverished migrant workers in Thailand are sold or lured by false promises and forced to catch and process fish that ends up in global food giant Nestle SA's supply chains.

The unusual disclosure comes from Geneva-based Nestle SA itself, which in an act of self-policing announced the conclusions of its yearlong internal investigation on Monday. The study found virtually all U.S. and European companies buying seafood from Thailand are exposed to the same risks of abuse in their supply chains.

Nestle SA, among the biggest food companies in the world, launched the investigation in December 2014, after reports from news outlets and nongovernmental organizations tied brutal and largely unregulated working conditions to their shrimp, prawns and Purina brand pet foods. Its findings echo those of The Associated Press in reports this year on slavery in the seafood industry that have resulted in the rescue of more than 2,000 fishermen.

The laborers come from Thailand's much poorer neighbors Myanmar and Cambodia. Brokers illegally charge them fees to get jobs, trapping them into working on fishing vessels and at ports, mills and seafood farms in Thailand to pay back more money than they can ever earn.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nestle-labor-20151124-story.html

[forest444]

1. Nastylé and its opprobrious history.

http://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6?op=1

Would it really be so hard for them to be better than this?

[fasttense]

2. That's what a good trade agreement could fix

But of course we have NO good trade agreements. They could have very stiff penalties for corporations that sell products that use forced or slave labor. But though the current agreements do not encourage forced or slave labor they do NOTHING about those evil corporations that use forced and slave labor. They have absolutely NO Penalties for countries that encourage, and corporations that use, forced and slave labor. Talk about a race to the bottom. Can you beat zero labor costs?

[restorefreedom]

3. nestle is evil. good thing the tpp will clear things up..

oh, that's right. it will make them worse.

[patsimp]

4. Nestle is an evil organization

in my opinion.

I've boycotted it since their head honcho wanted to make water a chargeable commodity.