London Calling indicts BSC’s failure to watch Vedanta
The British Safety Council (BSC) is one of the world’s leading safety watchdogs. It employs 90 staff members and operates in 50 countries including India.
Yet, late last month, it claimed not to “be aware of” the deaths of at least forty workers, following Last September’s collapse of a chimney which was being constructed for UK-listed Vedanta’s Balco in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. This was the worst disaster of its kind in the country’ recent history, and it was widely reported in the international media, including by the BBC – which featured some graphic photographs. In the weeks following the tragedy, three Vedanta officials were arrested and charged with “culpable homicide”.
Despite this, The Observer newspaper claims that, only when it recently reported the dire safety record of UK-listed mining companies, did the BSC withdraw a Safety Award previously granted to Balco.
In fact, the Council has actually dispensed two accolades to the Vedanta subsidiary – something that this most deceitful and delinquent of major mining outfits proudly boasted to advance its credibility among investors.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=10358.