Mica mining, cosmetic industry and forced labour

Textile industry, TIC industry, fishing industry... All of these sectors are regularly accused of using child labor and / or forced labor. Currently, Thai fishing industry is in turmoil, like Samsung or H&M (and they're not the only ones...). These topics are quite known by the general public as they benefit from some media coverage. But slavery doesn't only exist in textile, TIC and fishing industries, it also exists in agriculture or mining. Today, I'd like to present a particular type of mining which is not very famous : the mica mining.

What is mica ?

When we talk about mines, the first things that we think are gold or diamond, but there are a lot of other minerals, less precious but much more used in daily life. Among them, the mica : a glittery substance used for isolation and cosmetic products. Mica is coveted for centuries for its unique luster, but its myriad uses in modern products now make it a valuable commodity. It is mica that gives make-up products such as eye shadow, nail polish, lipstick and concealer their shimmer.

Producing more than 60% of the world's total production, India has monopoly in the production of mica. There are three areas in which the great majority (95%) of the production is realized :

- Jharkhand : located in Eastern India, not really far from Bangladesh, Jharkand contains 40% of India's mineral reserves but is also one of the poorest of the country.

- Andhra Pradesh : located in the South, Andra Pradesh mainly relies on agriculture and represents 25% of India's mica resources.   

- Rajasthan : located in the North-West, at the border with Pakistan, the Rajasthan mainly relies on agriculture too. If the production of mica is important, the richest mines are those of copper and zinc.   

What is the link with forced labor ?

Here we are. Mica is a coveted product which one kilogram can be sold more than $1000, and yet, instead of creating wealth, it looks like it impoverishes society. How can this occur ? A triple phenomenon explains it : as explained earlier, India is (from far) the biggest producer and exporter in the world. The problem is that the offer is much bigger than the demand. The second problem is that it creates a huge competition and leads some to trade clandestinely. According to an investigation realized by an Australian newspaper, 86% of the country's mica exports in 2010-2011 were unregulated. India officially produces about 15 000 tonnes of crude and scrap mica a year but exported 130 000 tones in 2011-2012. And thus we arrive to the third problem : clandestinely leads to a lack of rules and the exploitation of workers and children. Just a quick look on the video helps to understand how the situation is complicated. 

According to Bachpan Bachao Andolan, an Indian NGO, there would be about 5 000 children working in mica mines, whereas Indian law forbids them to work in mines under 14 years old. Some children start to work at only five... Anyway, as explained in the video, they can't go to school : firstly because the path is too dangerous (there are no buses through the jungle...), and secondly because their parents need them to work in order to help the family. Thus, it became normal to see 12 years old boys working seven to eight hours a day to get paid only 1.5 euro.

Children do want to go to school, but there is no proper access to school which is away from the village. Children have to go through a jungle, which consists of wild animal including bear and poisonous snakes

Which companies are involved ?

According to NGO research firm DanWatch, 12 out of 16 international cosmetic companies "do not disclose where their mica comes from", but 7 of them support standards that include combating child labour according to their official communication. But if they are engaged against child labour, is not it a bit paradoxical to not disclose their sources of procurement ? Yes and no. In fact, as a large part of mica comes from illegal mines, the mica is sold to an unscrupulous intermediary who, in a second time, does business with greater companies. There can be several links in the chain. With this system, cosmetic companies can say they're against child labor and bring a proof that they are not in affair with companies using child labor. At best nobody will notice, at worse they can play the card of wonder and naivety.

That's the case of L'Oréal for example. L'Oréal is the world's biggest cosmetic company, with a revenue of 22,9 billion euros in 2013. It owns several brand whom Lancôme or Yves Saint Laurent Beauty. Problem : it has been proved that the company bought mica from the German Merck and the Chinese Kuncai, which buy it from local exporters, often unethical intermediaries.           

In its Code of Business Ethics, the company writes: “When a case of child labour is found, the supplier/subcontractor is obliged to ensure that the child returns to school. This includes, if necessary, providing his/her family with an additional income and includes making an offer of reemployment to the child when he/she reaches the permissible age.” According to DanWatch information, L’Oréal has not reacted to the information that their mica comes from Merck and Kuncai.

I took the example of L'Oréal but it's not the only company involved in this rogue business, I could have quote Henkel, Intercos or Sun Chemical, all in affair with Kuncai. 

You can follow me on Twitter : @SlaveryFight

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https://www.danwatch.dk/sites/default/files/documentation_files/who_suffers_for_beauty_final.pdf

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Comments

[Thailand News]

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[Obat kutil kelamin]

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[Hastelloy]

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[Obat Sipilis]

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[A. Stockholmer]

H&M foundation is sponsoring (400.000.000 SEK) a Nobel Centre in honor of weapons and dynamite manufacturer Alfred Nobel. The proposed concrete/glass/brass building would destroy the maritime heritage in Stockholm. See the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ83twzuFw0