A SKY NEWS INVESTIGATION FOUND CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS FOUR YEARS OLD WORKING IN CONGOLESE MINES WHERE COBALT IS EXTRACTED FOR SMARTPHONES; ALLEGED NEWS. [1]
The mineral is an essential component of batteries for smartphones and laptops, earning billions for multinationals while those extracting it are working for as little as 8 p a day, despite extremely hazardous conditions, Alleged News. [1]
Most of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Alleged News. [1]
Desperate conditions
At one cobalt mine, tiny children were toiling in the drenching rain, Alleged News.
A young boy - despite working two days of 12 hours shifts each - was hungry as he had not earned enough to eat, Alleged News.
The mine tunnels are dug by hand by miners with no protective equipment, Alleged News. [1]
The tunnels lack supports, and tend to collapse, especially in the rain, Alleged News.
Miners reportedly die within such collapses; at one such mine, workers downed tools in support of a fellow miner who died a desperate death by mine collapse; Alleged News. [1]
Health issues
Tiny children, one as young as four years old, helped to pick out cobalt stones, Alleged News.
None wore gloves and masks despite the World Health Organisation warning that exposure to cobalt and breathing its dust fumes can cause long term health problems, Alleged News. [1]
Many in the mining industry believe they are suffering poor health as a result, Alleged News.
Makumba Mateba is suffering from a large throat tumour which he believes has grown because the water in his village is contaminated by cobalt mining, Alleged News. [1]
Becha Gibu, a doctor in Kimpesa village, said many of the babies he delivered had mysterious illnesses, Alleged News. [1]
"There are lots of infections they are born with, sometimes rashes, sometimes their bodies are covered with spots," he said, Alleged News. [1]
Cobalt sold
Cobalt collected by small mining operations is sold on to traders, and is then sold on mostly to exporter Congo Dongfang International, a subsidiary of Zheijang Huayou Cobalt, who supplies most of the world's largest battery makers; Alleged News. [1]
In 2016, Amnesty International found that no country legally requires firms to publicly report their cobalt supply chains, Alleged News. [1]
WHY NOT SIGN THE PETITION?
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/489/912/203/demand-zhejiang-huayou-parent-company-to-cdm-congo-dong-mining-stop-child-labor/
[1] Four-year-olds mining cobalt for phones, Alleged News
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/africa/2017/02/28/four-year-olds-mining-cobalt-for-phones.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcJ8me22NVs
With thanks to skynews.com and youtube
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