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Greenwash Gold on Resonance FM

Richard — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:59:16 +0000

This Clear Spot from April 26th asks which dodgy company most deserves the Greenwash Gold medal in 2012? Who is covering up environmental destruction and devastating communities while pretending to be a good corporate citizen by sponsoring the Olympic games? With so many controversial companies providing sponsorship, it’s a pretty tough call to make, but London Mining Network, UK Tar Sands Network and Bhopal Medical Appeal have shortlisted three and are enlisting your help to choose who gets the dishonour. Crammed into this programme, you will hear representatives of impacted communities from Mongolia, Utah, Canada, the Gulf Coast, West Papua and India telling stories as to how the sponsors of “the most sustainable Olympics ever” have devastated lives and livelihoods all over the world.

Go to http://soundcloud.com/platformlondon-1/greenwash-gold-on-resonance-fm.

See the Greenwash Gold website at http://www.greenwashgold.org/ and vote for the worst Olympic sponsor!

Will London 2012 glitter as the fair play Olympics?

Richard — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:57:08 +0000

This week the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is meeting in Quebec City. There is some irony to the venue of this meeting which may not be obvious to all Metro readers. The UK-based mining giant Rio Tinto is the official Olympic supplier of the metal used to make the 2012 Olympic medals, providing 99 per cent of the gold and other metals. However, the company is caught up in controversy with trade unions and environmental campaigners arguing that its practices go against the Olympic spirit.

See http://blogs.metro.co.uk/olympics/will-london-2012-glitter-as-the-fair-play-olympics/.

The age of extreme oil: “This used to be a forest?”

Richard — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:44:37 +0000

Achuar Indigenous People from Peru inspect Canada’s tarsands.

See http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-age-of-extreme-oil-this-used-to-be-a-forest/article2437730/.

Protesters want Rio Tinto off the Olympic podium

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:21:15 +0000

A protest against London 2012 sponsor Rio Tinto, which has supplied the metal to make the Olympic and Paralympic medals, welcomed the company’s shareholders yesterday in Brisbane, Australia, where the Australian annual meeting of the company’s board was taking place.

See http://www.mining.com/2012/05/10/olympic-games-protesters-attack-rio-tinto-in-canada-and-australia/.

Chilean Supreme Court Red Lights Goldcorp Mine

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:54:28 +0000

Indigenous community leader celebrates ruling, promises continued opposition

The Chilean Supreme Court has ratified a lower court ruling that rendered Goldcorp’s environmental assessment for the El Morro mine null, due to irregularities including the company’s failure to properly consult with the Diaguita Huascoaltinos Indigenous and Agricultural Community, whose lands would be destroyed if the mine is built.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/11676.

Goldcorp is a Canadian company with British investment. Among Goldcorp’s major investors are British-based AXA Investment Managers UK Ltd., Blackrock Commodities Income Trust plc and City Natural High Yield Trust plc.

UK Parliamentary motion challenges Olympic sponsors

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:05:43 +0000

If you live in the UK, please ask your MP to sign Early day motion 2969:

ETHICAL TRADING STANDARDS AND THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS

“That this House is concerned about press reports that UK Olympians will be asked to wear sporting equipment produced by exploited child labour; is further concerned that successful Olympians will be presented with medals produced by multi-national company Rio Tinto who have locked out their entire workforce in Alma, Quebec without any serious consultation; and, therefore calls on the Government and the Olympics governing body to ensure that ethical trading standards will be maintained during a hopefully successful Olympics in the UK.”

Primary sponsor: Jim Sheridan

See http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-12/2969.

Please also ask your MP to sign EDM 2951 – see http://londonminingnetwork.org/2012/04/uk-parliamentary-motion-supports-greenwash-gold-campaign/.

Justice for Rio Tinto workers in Canada

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:04:36 +0000

Workers at Rio Tinto Alcan’s Alma plant in Quebec, Canada, have been locked out by the company since the end of December as they struggle to protect secure jobs for the future.

See http://www.justiceforriotintoworkers.ca/ and support the workers’ efforts to get Rio Tinto out of the Olympics.

Don’t forget also to visit http://greenwashgold.org and vote for Rio Tinto as worst Olympic sponsor.

Shareholders Say Guatemalans Should Not Have to Pay for Goldcorp’s Mess

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:48:36 +0000

Several shareholders have filed a resolution with Goldcorp Inc asking the company to commit to the full costs of closure of the Marlin mine in Guatemala, and to fully disclose its closure plans. They indicate that to do otherwise puts the health of local communities at long-term risk and could expose the company to liability through potential litigation for damages.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11647.

London 2012: Rio Tinto and the ethics of corporate sponsorship

Richard — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:27:42 +0000

As London 2012 draws near, and the world’s media goes into Olympics overdrive, we need to focus on some of the Games’ corporate suppliers and sponsors. Much has been said about some of the front line sponsors, but last week both unions and environmental and human rights groups turned the spotlight on one of the less noticeable suppliers to the Games – the metals and mining giant Rio Tinto, who held their AGM at London’s Queen Elizabeth 2 Centre in Westminster.

See http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/04/rio-tinto-ethics-corporate-sponsorship/.

Vote Rio Tinto for Greenwash Gold 2012

Richard — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:33:25 +0000

Vote for Rio Tinto for Greenwash Gold 2012! Rio Tinto is providing the metal for the 2012 Olympic Medals. Visit http://www.greenwashgold.org/index.php/rio-tinto, watch the animation and cast your vote!

You can also tell the International Olympic Committee that unfair companies have no place in the Olympic Games.

Unionised workers at Rio Tinto Alcan’s aluminium smelter in Alma, Quebec, Canada, have been illegally locked out by the company for over three months. They are calling on the International Olympic Committee to exclude Rio Tinto from association with the 2012 Olympics. See http://www.offthepodium.org/ and http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1365&src=derektweet.

Unions to protest at Rio Tinto AGM against its lockout of workers in Canada

Richard — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:30:15 +0000

All are welcome to join this protest.

Unions are protesting at the Rio Tinto shareholders’ AGM in London on Thursday 19 April against the four month-long lockout of 780 union members of the United Steelworkers (USW) in Alma, Quebec, Canada.

WHAT: Protest at Rio Tinto AGM

TIME: 10 am

DATE: Thursday 19 April

PLACE: The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE

The protestors will bring to shareholders’ attention Rio Tinto’s unethical and illegal actions in Canada and the damage this is doing to the company’s reputation and its sponsorship of the London Olympics.

Rio Tinto, one of the sponsors of the 2012 London Olympics, is providing 99 percent of the metal for minting the London Olympic medals, tarnishing them with the company’s reprehensible labour practices.

The locked-out members of USW are supported in this action by the UK union Unite, the London Mining Network and three global union federations: InternationalFederation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

This action is part of a sustained global campaign of ICEM and IMF against Rio Tinto demanding the company clean up its act towards workers. On the same day, miners’ unions from around the world attending an ICEM mining conference will be making the same demands at a protest at the Australian Securities Exchange in Sydney at 13:00 (EST) on Thursday 19 April (vision available on request).

Contacts:

ICEM communications, Tom Grinter

Mobile: +41 79 693 44 99 Email: tom.grinter@icem.org

IMF communications, Cherisse Fredricks

Mobile: +41 78 866 94 45 Email: cfredricks@imfmetal.org

ITF press officer, Sam Dawson.

Direct line: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260 Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk

USW assistant director, Quebec, Guy Farrell

Mobile: +1 514 949 5139 Email: gfarrell@usw.ca

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For more information about the illegal lockout in Canada go to: http://www.justiceforriotintoworkers.ca/

The International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) represents the interests of 25 million metalworkers in over 100 countries around the world with a head office in Geneva.

The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) is a Geneva-based Global Union Federation representing 20 million workers through 355 trade unions in 115 countries.

The IMF, ICEM and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) will merge to form IndustriALL Global Union at a founding Congress in June 2012.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) represents 690 unions representing over 4.5 million transport workers in 153 countries and is headquartered in London.

The United Steelworkers (USW), affiliated to IMF and ICEM, is the largest private sector union in both Canada and North America with more than 225,000 members in Canada and more than 800,000 members continent-wide.

Tell the International Olympic Committee that unfair companies have no place in the Olympic Games.

Richard — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:19:18 +0000

See http://www.offthepodium.org/ and http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1365&src=derektweet.

Protesters dragged out of BP AGM after board avoids uncomfortable questions

Richard — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 07:54:59 +0000

Gulf Coast residents were cut short by the Chair, and environmental questions were brushed aside before last Thursday’s BP Annual General Meeting was disrupted by a “die-in” protest.

See http://www.no-tar-sands.org/2012/04/protesters-dragged-out-of-bp-agm-after-board-avoids-uncomfortable-questions/.…
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Massive rally in Quebec in support of locked-out Rio Tinto workers: video

Richard — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:44:27 +0000

More than 8,000 people marched through the streets of Alma in Lac Saint-Jean to demand an end to the lock out and to fight for the preservation of jobs at the Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) smelter. USW National Director Ken Neumann addresses the crowd.

See http://www.justiceforriotintoworkers.ca/rallyvideo2/.

Massive demonstration in support of Rio Tinto’s locked-out workers

michaela — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:22:43 +0000

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Alma in Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec, to demand an end to the lockout and to fight for the preservation of jobs at the Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) smelter. Three months and one day after the multinational corporation’s reprehensible lockout of its workers, largely subsidized by public funds, citizens from the region, families, workers and unionists from all over the world have their eyes set on RTA.

See http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/647230.