10 December is recognized internationally as Human Rights Day, and unions are demanding that Shell stops violating human rights in all of the 70 countries where it operates.
The planned action is part of the campaign against Shell initiated by IndustriALL’s global network of trade unions at the company during a meeting in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, in September.
The campaign, which includes demands for Shell to respect its commitments to human rights, was also endorsed at IndustriALL’s Executive Committee in Colombo, Sri Lanka in November.
Examples of Shell Human Rights Violations:
- Iraqi subcontractors at Shell are being made to work long hours in 'life-threatening' temperatures.
- Shell refuses to recognize some trade unions representing workers, for example in Uganda and Brazil
- Highly-qualified women working at Shell in Iraq earn much less than their male counterparts
- Contract workers at Shell in Pakistan work 12 instead of 8 hour shifts, 6 days a week and get no benefits
- Multiple worker fatalities at Shell operations in Brazil
“Shell claims to be committed to respecting human rights around the world, but the company is failing to do so in some countries where it operates. Let’s raise our voice on 10 December and demand that Shell respects ALL workers’ human rights!” said IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan.
Please don’t forget to share your actions with us either through the Shell Global Union Network Facebook group page or send to [email protected].