Michal Marek Report by Amnesty International showed that one of the suppliers of many large technology companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Samsung and, for example, Daimler and Volkswagen used child labor. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, children participated in the mining of cobalt, which was subsequently used in the production of Li-Ion batteries. These were then used in the products of these big brands.
Before the extracted cobalt reaches the aforementioned technological giants, it travels a long way. The cobalt mined by the children is first bought by local traders, who resell it to the mining company Congo Dongfang Mining. The latter is a branch of the Chinese company Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Ltd, otherwise known as Huayou Cobalt. This company processes the cobalt and sells it to three different manufacturers of battery components. These are Toda Hunan Shanshen New Material, Tianjin Bamo Technology and L&F Materal. Battery components are purchased by battery manufacturers, who then sell the finished batteries to companies such as Apple or Samsung.
However, according to Mark Dummett from Amnesty International, such a thing does not excuse these companies, and everyone who profits from the cobalt obtained in this way should actively participate in solving the unfortunate situation. It shouldn't be a problem for such big companies to help these children.
“The children told Amnesty International that they worked up to 12 hours a day in the mines and carried heavy loads to earn between one and two dollars a day. In 2014, according to UNICEF, around 40 children worked in mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, many of whom mined cobalt.
Amnesty International's investigation is based on interviews with 87 people who worked in the incriminated cobalt mines. Among these people were seventeen children between the ages of 9 and 17. The investigators managed to obtain visual materials that show the dangerous conditions in the mines in which the workers work, often without basic protective equipment.
Children typically worked on surfaces, carried heavy loads and regularly handled hazardous chemicals in dusty environments. Long-term exposure to cobalt dust has proven to cause lung diseases with fatal consequences.
According to Amnesty International, the cobalt market is not regulated in any way and in the United States, unlike Congolese gold, tin and tungsten, it is not even listed as a "risk" material. The Democratic Republic of Congo accounts for at least half of the world's cobalt production.
Apple, which has already started an investigation into the whole situation, is pro with the BBC stated the following: "We never tolerate child labor in our supply chain and are proud to lead the industry by implementing safety and security measures."
The company also warned that it carries out strict checks and any supplier using child labor is obliged to ensure the worker's safe return home, pay for the worker's education, continue to pay the current wage and offer the worker a job the moment he reaches the required age. In addition, Apple is also said to be closely monitoring the price at which cobalt is sold.
This case is not the first time that the use of child labor in Apple's supply chain has been exposed. In 2013, the company announced that it had terminated cooperation with one of its Chinese suppliers when it discovered cases of child employment. In the same year, Apple established a special supervisory body on an academic basis, which has been helping the program named since then Supplier Responsibility. This is to ensure that all components purchased by Apple come from safe workplaces.
One eye probably didn't stay dry. Okay, I'll write this comment, break the phone with a hammer and go to the forest to collect bark. Someone has to start it. On the other hand, phones are what "Kongo Children Friendly" gave. Year after year, model after model, the flashlight gets smaller and smaller. If phones without batteries are 1mm thick, then children in the Congo will finally be able to play happily. We need child soldiers, which is their favorite national game.