Some of the world's largest companies have been accused of undermining democracy around the world by funding far-right political movements, financing and exacerbating the climate crisis, and violating trade union and human rights, according to a report released on Monday by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). (ITUC).
The report includes companies such as Amazon, Tesla, Mehta, ExxonMobil, Blackstone, Vanguard and Glencore. United Nations Future Summit It will be held in New York City on September 22nd and 23rd.
The report noted that Amazon is the world's fifth-largest employer and the world's largest online retailer and cloud computing services company, and that its size and role have had a significant impact on the industries and communities in which it operates.
“This company is notorious for busting unions, Low wages E-commerce monopolies on multiple continents; Huge carbon emissions Through AWS data centers Corporate tax evasionand lobbying at the national and international levels,” the report said.
The report cited Amazon's high injury rates in the U.S., the company's challenges to the constitutionality of its work with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and effort In Canada, to overturn labor laws Prohibited an Amazon lobbyist was expelled from the European Parliament for refusing to attend a hearing on labor violations; rejection In various cases, including negotiations with German labor unions, Amazon has funded far-right political groups that undermine women's rights and antitrust law, and its retail website Used Hate groups are using it to raise funds and sell merchandise.
At Tesla, the report cited anti-union and human rights abuses by the company in the United States, Germany and Sweden. Within the supply chainand Elon Musk's personal opposition to unions and democracy, his challenges to the US NLRB, and his support For political leader Donald Trump, Javier Millay Argentina and Narendra Modi In India.
The report noted that Meta, the world's largest social media company, played a major role in allowing and enabling far-right propaganda and movements to use its platform to grow membership and support in the United States and abroad, and cited the company's retaliation against regulatory action in Canada and its expensive lobbying against data privacy legislation.
Glencore, the world's largest mining company by revenue, was included in the report because of its role in funding global campaigns against indigenous communities and activists.
Blackstone, the private equity firm led by billionaire Stephen Schwarzman Supporters The report found that the Trump Group, a subsidiary of President Donald Trump's son, has been linked to funding far-right political movements, investing in fossil fuel projects and deforestation in the Amazon.
“Blackstone's network has spent tens of millions of dollars supporting politicians and political forces who promise to block or eliminate regulations that could hold the company accountable,” the report said.
The Vanguard Group was included in the report for funding some of the world's most anti-democratic corporations. ExxonMobil was cited for its funding of anti-climate science research and aggressive lobbying against environmental regulations.
Todd Brogan, the ITUC's director of campaigns and organising, said that even in “strong democracies”, workers' demands are “overwhelmed by corporate lobbying in policy-making and in the elections themselves”.
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“This is about power, who the power is and who sets the agenda. As trade unionists, we know that unless we are organised, the bosses set the agenda in our workplaces. And we also realise, as citizens, that unless we organise ourselves and demand a responsive government that actually responds to people's needs, it is corporate power that sets the agenda.
“They're playing a long game, and it's a game of taking power away from democracy at every level, to a level where they don't care about the impact on workers. They're interested in maximizing their influence and their exploitative power and their profits,” Brogan added. “Now is the time for an international, multi-sectoral strategy, because in many cases these are multinational corporations that are more powerful than nation states and have no democratic accountability whatsoever to anyone other than organised labour.”
The ITUC has Trade union affiliates from 169 countries It is an organisation that represents 191 million workers around the world, including the AFL-CIO, the largest trade union federation in the US, and the Trades Union Congress in the UK.
Four billion people are expected to vote in elections around the world in 2024, and the Federation push Towards an internationally binding treaty Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group Hold multinational corporations accountable under international human rights law.
