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Kazakhstan: Philip Morris International Overhauls Labor Protections

Philip Morris International’s public commitment on May 9, 2011 to protect the rights of tobacco workers in its global supply chain is an important first step, Human Rights Watch said today. Rigorous independent monitoring will be crucial to realizing full protections for workers, Human Rights Watch said. Philip Morris International (PMI), one of the largest tobacco companies in the world, published a statement on its web site acknowledging “many challenges” remaining to the protection of workers on farms in Kazakhstan supplying tobacco to its subsidiary, Philip Morris Kazakhstan (PMK). The company committed to rectifying labor abuses on tobacco farms in Kazakhstan and also announced plans for a labor practices code to be carried out throughout its global supply chain. “Philip Morris International’s commitments to ensure protection of workers, including migrant workers, in Kazakhstan and in more than 30 other countries, is profoundly significant,” said Jane Buchanan, senior Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Effective monitoring will be key to making sure PMI is never again in the dark about abuses anywhere in its supply chain.” More…

News selected by Covalence | Country: Kazakhstan | Company: Philip Morris | Source: Human Rights Watch

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