Amnesty report: 2022 World Cup workers “treated like cattle”
Following the deaths of Nepalise workers in Qatar earlier this year, a new report by the global human rights NGO Amnesty International claims that the migrant workers who are building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, are still victims of labour abuse. The report, Qatar: The dark side of migration, has been published a week after Fifa, the international governing body of football, declared that Qatar was “on the right track” in tackling the exploitation of migrant workers’ rights. According to the report, migrant workers are living in overcrowded accommodation, exposed to overflowing sewage and are without running water, and that some workers were forced to sign papers in front of government officials that falsely confirmed that they had been paid, to get their passports back to leave Qatar. Salil Shetty, Amnesty’s general secretary, said that employers “are taking advantage of a permissive environment and lax enforcement of labour protections to exploit construction workers.” The Qatari authorities said that they are being proactive and that the World Cup can be a catalyst for change. (The Guardian)
Employers agree on a 77% wage increase for Bangladesh factory workers
Garment factory workers in Bangladesh will have their salaries increased by 77 percent after business owners were persuaded by the Bangladesh Government to improve working conditions for employees. Factory owners and the Bangladesh Government have agreed that workers will now be paid a minimum of 5,300 takas (£43) a month, despite workers’ representatives calling for an 8,114 takas (£64) minimum salary, and opposition from factory owners to increase workers’ wages. This follows several months of street protests by factory workers after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in April 2013, in which more than 1,100 workers died and global fashion brands came under scrutiny owing to the poor working conditions of employees. (Blue & Green Tomorrow)
UK cracks down on “excessive” pay
According to annual research from Income Data Services, part of Thomson Reuters, UK directors’ pay increased by 14 percent last year to £2.1 million, more than six times the increase in overall average UK earnings. Recent reforms brought in by the UK Government mean that companies will need to present executives’ total pay, including pensions, share options and bonuses in a clear and simple format, which will be subject to a legally binding vote by shareholders. Vince Cable, the UK business secretary, said that "these reforms mean all shareholders, big or small, will no longer be kept in the dark through complex reporting methods on the performance of the companies they invest in. They will be able to challenge companies over excessive pay, preventing big bosses being rewarded for failure." Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the UK Trades Union Congress, is calling "for legislation to put ordinary workers on the pay committees of companies. This is the only way to bring some sanity to the way in which directors are paid." (The Guardian; Financial Times*)
Environment
China dropping pursuit of growth to tackle pollution
The Chinese Government has announced that it will draw an "ecological protection red line" to limit the economic development of environmentally vulnerable regions, steer local authorities in China away from the pursuit of economic growth and increase their powers to punish polluters as part of a national campaign to reverse the environmental damage done by three decades of unchecked expansion. This follows widespread public anger across China over a series of environmental issues, including hazardous smog, contaminated soil and toxic water supplies. The move was followed by an announcement from the Premier of China, Li Keqiang, that China will open its clean energy industry to foreign and private investment to strengthen technology and other forms of cooperation to improve the environment. At present foreign companies can invest in equipment manufacturing, but can only have limited stakes in clean energy projects such as wind farms. (Reuters)
Responsible Investment
Report: Citi, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America top funders of coal industry
According to a new report by a coalition of European NGOs, including BankTrack and the World Development Movement (WDM), the US commercial banks Citibank, Morgan Stanley and the Bank of America have collectively invested £17.6 billion into the coal mining industry since 2005. According to the research, 89 banks have invested £98 billion into the coal industry since 2005, and the top 20 funders, which includes the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and HSBC, have provided 71 percent of the funding, a total of £70.1 billion. The report, Banking on Coal, adds that since 2000, coal production has grown by 70 percent, despite it being one of the most polluting fossil fuels. Nick Dearden, the director of the WDM, said that hopes of limiting the global average temperature increase to two degrees Celsius, the threshold agreed by governments worldwide, is a “fantasy” while banks continue to fund the coal industry at current levels. (Blue & Green Tomorrow)
Technology and Innovation
London Underground heat to be pumped into homes
A scheme has been launched to pipe waste heat from London Underground tunnels and an electrical substation into homes rather than allowing it to be released into the atmosphere. The scheme, which is a partnership between Islington Council in London, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, and the UK Power Networks and Transport for London, will be run through Islington Council's Bunhill Heat and Power network, which currently supplies more than 700 homes and is expected to connect a further 500 homes. Matthew Pencharz, the senior advisor on environment and energy to the Mayor of London, said that “by supporting locally-sourced energy and heat networks which can reduce bills and lower carbon emissions, we can not only save money but also drive innovation, jobs and growth in this burgeoning sector." (Edie)
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