More than 300 people, including workers' family members and
community residents, joined the protest in solidarity. HLL is a
majority-owned subsidiary of Anglodutch MNC Unilever which is known
for its brandnames Lipton Tea, Pepsodent and Pears soap.
Rather than conduct exhaustive health studies among its workers
and ex-workers in a transparent and agreed-upon manner, the company
has sent letters to Mahendra Babu, President of the HLL Ex-workers
Association, threatening to sue him for defamation unless he proves
that the unsafe work conditions in the factory caused damage to
workers health.
The ex-workers have declared that they can testify to the unsafe
work environment within the factory, but that the company will have
to assess the extent of damage to workers' health due to the
hazardous work environment. "The burden is now on Hindustan Lever
to prove that their polluting working atmosphere has not caused the
sicknesses that its ex-workers are suffering from," said Babu.
"When I worked there, they used to suck up the mercury from the
floor using a vacuum cleaner once a day. In another section, where
they heat thermometers in an oven, workers are exposed to gusts of
mercury vapour every time the oven door is opened," recalls
Babu.
Unilever's worldwide "Policy and Strategy"
(www.unilever.com/en/en_ps.html) states that Unilever's aims are
to: "exercise the same concern for the environment wherever we
operate."
HLL's ex-workers have demanded that the company should
immediately apologise for having dumped mercury wastes in
Kodaikanal, begin sincere efforts to assess the extent of damage to
environment and worker health, and pay for reparation. The
ex-workers have also expressed solidarity with current workers, and
demanded that the company should ensure that the workers do not
suffer financially for the company's negligent behaviour.
Among the striking ex-workers are several people who blame their
chronic health problems on the casual manner in which mercury is
handled in the workplace at Hindustan Lever. Exposure to mercury
and mercury vapour can pose serious health hazards, particularly
affecting the brain, nervous system and the kidney.
In March, the company was caught having dumped toxic mercury
wastes at a scrapyard and various other locations in Kodaikanal.
After initial denials, the company admitted to having dumped the
poisonous wastes, but maintained that allegations of dangerous work
practices are baseless.
"We're appalled at the company's behaviour. They have used every
trick in the book - lies, intimidation and cover-up - to avoid
liability and loss of face. The company's behaviour is an insult to
our community which has hosted them for nearly 20 years," said
Albert Jayakumar, spokesperson for TAAM.
Ex-workers and community activists allege that the company has
engaged in hasty cover-up operations. In early April, Greenpeace
filmed the company using unprotected workers to dig up potentially
mercury-contaminated wastes buried illegally within the factory
site. TAAM, Greenpeace and the ex-workers have expressed concern at
reports that the company plans to resume production on 25 April,
2001.
"It is interesting to note that the Ministry of Environment has
been totally silent on the whole scandal. This points to the total
absence of policy in India to protect the environment and workers
from deadly poisons like mercury. The Ministry of Environment
should make efforts urgently to initiate phase-out plans for
mercury," said Greenpeace toxics campaigner Navroz Mody.
Greenpeace launched a global email petition on its website
(www.greenpeaceindia.org) to bring to bear global pressure against
the multinational's irresponsible behaviour.