Amnesty International report links batteries used in phones to child labour in Congo - lithium ion battery manufacturers

Samsung is one of the 16 electronics companies that Amnesty International identified in its damn report on mining conflict materials for our gadgets.
Picture: AP/Li Jin-
ManSource: APHUMAN Human Rights found a shocking fact behind our obsession with technology, which is not beautiful.
According to Amnesty International and Afrewatch, unscrupulous mining uses children under the age of 7 to extract materials used to make lithium
Ion batteries that power smartphones and tablets.
The report found that in 2014, as many as 40,000 children were working in mines throughout Congo.
They often work for 12 hours and get paid one or two dollars a day.
The authors claim that major electronics companies around the world, including Apple, Samsung and Sony, have failed to stop the trend.
In their report, that is what we have sacrificed for: human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have driven the global trade in cobalt, these agencies say, they were able to link the sale of material cobalt used to make batteries to mines that use child labor.
"The Fascinating store display and the marketing of state-of-the-art technology are in stark contrast to those kids carrying rock bags and miners wearing narrow clothes --
Mark dammit, a business and human rights researcher at Amnesty International, said: "It is possible to build a tunnel to cause permanent lung damage . ".
"Millions of people enjoy the benefits of new technologies, but few ask how they come about.
Now is the time for big brands to take some responsibility for mining raw materials that produce lucrative products.
"More than half of the world's cobalt comes from Congo (Kim), of which is about extracted by a method called manual mining, A place where workers dig materials with bare hands or using basic tools such as chisels.
Safety helmets, protective clothing or masks are not provided.
Congolese children screen in broken rock debris for material cobalt used to make lithium
Ion batteries for smartphones and laptops.
Source: according to the report, traders buy cobalt from areas where this practice is prevalent and then sell it to Congo Oriental Mining (CDM), Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. , Ltd. (Huayou Cobalt), a Chinese mineral giant) A wholly owned subsidiary.
After screening the investor documents for Huayu cobalt, the groups found that after the companies processed the materials they sold to the three battery assembly manufacturers, ningbo Shanshan and Tianjin Momo from China and L & F materials from South Korea.
The manufacturers then sold the materials to the battery manufacturers known as technology and automotive companies.
Amnesty International contacted 16 multinational companies listed as direct or indirect customers of battery manufacturers included in the Huayou Cobalt processing ore purchase report.
They are Hong Kong, Apple, BYD, Daimler, Dell, HP, Huawei, yingyida, Lenovo, LG, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, Vodafone, Volkswagen and ZTE.
Amnesty International claims that one of the companies acknowledged the link, Microsoft, while four companies were unable to determine whether they bought cobalt from the DRC or from Amicus.
Six people said they were investigating the allegations.
Five people denied purchasing cobalt from Hua you cobalt, but Amnesty International said they were listed as customers in company documents from battery manufacturers.
The two multinationals have denied purchasing cobalt from Congo.
Mr. Dummet told the news. com.
He said that, in addition to the harsh conditions experienced by the use of child labor and workers, he found these large transnational corporations shocking, whose total global profits are estimated to be about $125 billion, A system for tracking cobalt was not established.
"What I find very surprising is that none of the companies said they have not yet followed the system of cobalt in the product because it is not difficult for anyone to know or find that there is so much coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he explained: "We all know that this is one of the poorest countries in the world with a history of conflict and human rights violations. ".
"So even a very basic due diligence would prove that there could be problems in the area where it was mined.
"I also think the public would be surprised and shocked if companies like Apple and Samsung had not yet found a system to track these minerals.
If we can help raise the profile of this issue then it is a good thing.
"Apple is one of the companies mentioned in the Amnesty International report, which reveals that materials used to make cell phones and laptop batteries may come from mines that use child labor.
Picture: AFP/Kenzo TribouillardSource: when Amnesty International contacted the companies, AFPMr Dummet said that all said they had put in place policies on human rights violations and the use of child labor, however, when further questioning the question of cobalt, they could not "specify ".
"So what we want these companies to see, I think, is that they match their good words with action on the ground," he said . ".
Amnesty International and Afrewatch researchers spoke on April and May 2015 to 87 current and former cobalt miners from five mining areas in southern Congo, 17 of whom were children.
They also interviewed 18 cobalt traders and followed the vehicles of miners and traders as they shipped the cobalt ore from the mine to the market where the large company purchased the ore.
According to the report, at least 80 artisanal miners were killed in southern Congo between September 2014 and December 2015.
However, since many accidents have not been recorded, the bodies are buried in the ruins, and the real figures are unknown.
"While many companies are manufacturers of mobile phones and laptops, cobalt is also increasingly used in electric vehicles.
The people who buy electric cars are clearly concerned about the environment, and I think it would be shocking that children might be involved in the exploitation of materials that enter their bodies, Mr. Dumit said.
Both organizations, he said, called on these multinationals not only to investigate where their cobalt was extracted, but also to be more transparent to their suppliers.