Latest news with #workerexploitation
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major Boycott Planned for McDonald's and Walmart Nationwide
People's Union USA to spearhead boycott over tax avoidance, diversity program cuts, and worker exploitation A growing storm of consumer activism is set to hit two of America's biggest names: McDonald's and Walmart. From August 1 through the entire month, The People's Union USA will spearhead a nationwide boycott targeting the three companies over alleged corporate tax avoidance, cuts to diversity programs, and systemic worker exploitation. Will this collective action force a change in corporate practices, or will it simply be a blip on the radar? Only time will tell. In the meantime, here's everything you need to know about just how big these boycotts really are. National Boycott Calls on Consumers to Support Independent Businesses Over Corporate Giants A major consumer boycott targeting McDonald's and Walmart, as well as Lowe's, is set to happen for the entirety of next month. The action is organized by The People's Union USA, a grassroots economic justice movement founded by activist John Schwarz. The campaign aims to pressure corporate giants over issues including tax avoidance, the rollback of diversity hiring programs, and alleged exploitation of workers. Boasting over 360,000 TikTok followers and more than half a million on Instagram, Schwarz announced the initiative on social media, serving as a key voice in rallying support for coordinated economic resistance. This isn't the first time Schwarz's grassroots campaign has mobilized public sentiment. Previously, The People's Union USA has orchestrated impactful 24-hour 'economic blackouts' and strategic boycotts against major corporations like Amazon and Target, demonstrating their capacity to rally consumers for collective action. For the entirety of August, the campaign's ambitious objective is clear: deter consumers from spending their money at McDonald's. Similar disruptive measures are also planned against Walmart and Lowe's, aiming to significantly impact their monthly revenue. Beginning precisely on August 1st, this nationwide initiative calls upon every American to halt spending at these retail behemoths. Beyond simply withholding funds, The People's Union USA actively encourages a conscious shift in consumer behavior. Their guidance suggests postponing non-essential purchases during the boycott period or, more significantly, rerouting that spending directly to small, independent businesses. As The People's Union USA unequivocally states in their mission: 'We are not a political party. We are not a protest. We are a movement of people, organizing to take back control of our economy, government and future of our country.' Why McDonald's Is Facing Renewed Boycott Pressure McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food chain with an estimated 68 million daily customers, has increasingly found itself in the crosshairs of multiple boycott campaigns. While the global giant is no stranger to controversy, the intensity of recent backlash has placed the company under renewed scrutiny from both international and domestic critics. Since 2023, McDonald's has been targeted by the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement for its alleged business ties to Israel, sparking waves of protest across social media and at restaurant locations in various regions. On the home front, the brand has also come under fire for its corporate decisions. In 2024, McDonald's quietly rolled back many of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives—a move that drew swift criticism from progressive advocacy groups who accused the company of retreating from its public commitments to equitable hiring and representation. This year, The People's Union USA published a list of corporations it deems harmful to economic and social equity. McDonald's was named for what the group described as 'known lobbying against wage increases,' as well as alleged tax avoidance and anti-worker policies. With criticism mounting on several fronts, McDonald's now finds itself facing a rare alignment of global and domestic opposition, potentially threatening both its reputation and customer loyalty. What's Driving the Push to Boycott Walmart In April, Walmart became the focus of an aggressive boycott campaign launched by The People's Union USA, which accuses the retail giant of representing 'everything that's wrong with corporate power in this country.' According to Schwarz, the campaign is about more than just shopping habits—it's about shifting the national conversation on who really pays for America's public services. 'Our mission is simple,' he said. 'We want these corporations to start paying their fair share of taxes so the American people can finally be relieved of the burden of federal income tax.' The group claims that massive corporations, such as Walmart, utilize tax loopholes and employ aggressive financial strategies to avoid paying their fair share, all while generating enormous profits. For The People's Union USA, the Walmart boycott is a clear line in the sand: if corporations won't contribute to the system fairly, consumers will hit them where it hurts—at the cash register. The People's Union USA Prepares for Next Phase of Economic Pushback The economic resistance isn't slowing down anytime soon. As The People's Union USA continues its campaign against corporate power, the group has announced its next targets: Amazon, Uber, and PepsiCo. Starting in September, the movement plans to launch a new wave of boycotts aimed at holding these companies accountable for what it describes as exploitative labor practices, unfair taxation, and monopolistic behavior. Source: Hindustan Times Read the original article on GEEKSPIN. Affiliate links on GEEKSPIN may earn us and our partners a commission. Solve the daily Crossword
ABC News
29-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Surge of Australian visa applications in Tuvalu prompts fears of brain drain
On the program today More than a third of Tuvalu citizens enter the special engagement visa ballot to permanently relocate to Australia. Palau President Surangle Whipps Junior declares the Pacific Mini Games open. Jeremiah Manele backs his police force to provide security at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Meeting. Papua New Guinea's Acting Health Secretary denies reports the country has a HIV crisis. Bougainville signs an agreement with US-British charity HALO Trust to clear unexploded ordnance. A Fair Work investigation identifis hotspots of worker exploitation within the PALM Scheme. An Australian inquiry into modern slavery and the risks faced by temporary migrant workers holds its first regional hearing.
Reuters
26-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Italy's fashion brands sign accord to fight worker exploitation
MILAN, May 26 (Reuters) - Italian legal and political authorities, fashion industry bodies and trade unions signed an action plan on Monday to fight worker exploitation in the apparel and accessories supply chain, after prosecutors uncovered widespread abuse. Italy accounts for half the world's production in the luxury fashion industry. The plan, which is not legally binding, is an attempt to tackle what Milan prosecutors have described in documents seen by Reuters as "a generalised manufacturing method" that puts lives at risk to boost profits. A first draft of the scheme was proposed by a Milan court in June last year, after prosecutors uncovered workshops where underpaid workers, often irregular immigrants, produced leather bags sold to Dior and Armani for a tiny fraction of their retail price. This month an Italian court placed a unit of Valentino under judicial administration for a year, after uncovering worker abuse in its supply chain. "The goal is that the court will no longer have to intervene", Fabio Roia, the president of Milan's court system, told journalists on the sidelines of the memorandum signing. The memorandum of understanding - reviewed by Reuters - focuses on the creation of a database of brands' suppliers and their workforces. Supply chain firms will voluntarily enter their data on the platform, including information on tax compliance, social security contributions and labour law compliance, with updates at least every six months. According to Monday's agreement, fashion brands must commit to raising awareness of the new platform among their suppliers and urge them to enter their data. However, they may still use suppliers and subcontractors that fail to do so. The regional government of Lombardy, around Milan, will issue firms that sign up to the scheme with a six-month renewable certificate of transparency.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Your clothes may have been made by an outworker earning $10 an hour. This is what you can do about it
Nguyet Vu fled Vietnam in the 1980s, and after settling in Australia, the former bookkeeper ended up turning her hobby into a profession. "My cousin suggested I try sewing from home," Ms Vu said. "I started with small jobs for contractors. My skills were basic, and I made mistakes. Ms Vu was speaking this week in Sydney at a Generation Women event, a multi-generational women's storytelling night, in which participants share a personal story on a theme. She told the audience that she would work up to 12 hours a day, sometimes earning as little as $100 a week. Rachel Reilly, the national manager at Ethical Clothing Australia, which partnered with Generation Women for the event, says worker exploitation isn't just something that happens offshore. She says outworkers, who by definition often work in their own homes, underpin the local industry and are generally mature women, potentially from migrant backgrounds, who may not understand their rights. "These kinds of conditions create the ripe environment for exploitation to occur and then in addition to those demographics of outworkers is the structure of the local industry," Ms Reilly said. "One garment might be touched by many hands. "And because of that cascading supply chain, right down to an outworker's home, it's really challenging to have visibility over the conditions in which that outworker is employed. Ms Reilly says this doesn't necessarily have anything to do with profit margins. "This isn't just because the price point on the garment is cheap," she said. Ethical Clothing Australia provides accreditation to textile, clothing and footwear businesses who manufacture onshore and are adhering to the relevant Australian workplace laws that ensure correct rates of pay, entitlements and superannuation. "We only have about 120 businesses that are accredited with us in Australia when there's probably quadruple that that would be eligible to have this certification," Ms Reilly said. "The ones that are eligible could just not want to go through the accreditation because they have dodgy operations, because they find it too hard, [or] because they don't see the value. "Whereas with these businesses that have signed up to us, they're actually taking that stand. "They're going through a rigorous audit, a yearly audit of their operations and their supply chain to say 'actually, yeah, we do value our workers. We do want to make sure that they're being paid correctly.'" Ms Reilly is encouraging consumers to look out for the Ethical Clothing Australia label on the clothes they purchase. She's also encouraging people in the fashion industry to get accredited. "It's the only real way that you can get that far down that cascading supply chain to an outworker to make sure that they are being adequately supported," Ms Reilly said. "The accreditation programme comes in and can help a principal business map their complete supply chain, do the checking right down to the outworker in their home to make sure they're on the right skill level, receiving the right rates of pay, getting their superannuation and checking that they're in safe working conditions. "And really, it's good for business. "Embedding ethics and the proper legal frameworks into your business model is only going to be beneficial in the long run."
National Post
12-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Introducing Joblio – The Future of Ethical Recruitment
Article content Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. Article content Article content Joblio Launches to Revolutionize Ethical Recruitment and End Worker Exploitation Article content BUFFALO, N.Y. — Joblio, a global ethical recruitment platform, officially launches today to tackle the broken labor migration system—long plagued by exploitative intermediaries, high recruitment fees, and human rights abuses. With its tech-driven model, Joblio connects vetted workers with employers directly, eliminating unethical middlemen and ensuring cost-free hiring for migrant workers. Employers fund access to talent, but workers never pay—a key step in ending exploitation. Joblio's new tech-driven platform guarantees fair, transparent hiring—ending hidden fees and protecting vulnerable migrant workers worldwide. Article content A Mission Rooted in Personal Experience Article content Joblio is led by Jon Purizhansky, a refugee-turned-entrepreneur who experienced migration challenges firsthand. Forced to flee his home country as a young man, Jon faced the uncertainty and vulnerability that millions of migrant workers still encounter today. Now a globally recognized expert in global labor migration law and international workforce mobility, Jon has built Joblio to protect workers and promote a transparent hiring process. Article content 'I've lived the reality that so many migrant workers face—uncertainty, lack of information, and the constant risk of exploitation,' says Jon Purizhansky, Founder & CEO of Joblio. 'No one should have to pay exorbitant fees or risk their safety just to find work. Joblio eliminates the unethical brokers who prey on vulnerable workers and replaces them with a direct, transparent hiring model.' Article content For decades, brokers have charged excessive fees and made false promises to workers, often leading them into debt, unsafe work environments, or even forced labor. Joblio's platform disrupts this system by giving employers access to verified talent and giving workers access to real opportunities—without hidden fees, deceptive contracts, or illegal kickbacks. Article content With real-time job access, a transparent hiring process, and built-in legal safeguards, Joblio empowers workers while helping employers build more stable, reliable teams. The result: a hiring system that values human rights and delivers workforce integrity. Article content Beyond ethical hiring, Joblio helps migrant workers succeed through its ACE Program (Applicant Concierge Experience). The program offers: Article content Pre-departure training on workplace expectations, cultural adaptation, and financial literacy. On-the-ground support for workers to ensure safe and smooth transitions. Mental health resources to improve worker well-being and productivity. Article content Joblio's mission is supported by a seasoned leadership team and global advisors, ensuring compliance, advocacy, and scalability. With expertise across labor migration law, corporate governance, and labor rights, Joblio is positioned to disrupt the unethical recruitment industry and drive global change. Article content As Joblio expands globally, it is calling on governments, employers, and human rights organizations to join its movement for a future where recruitment is fair, ethical, and free from exploitation. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
