COVID-19 Pandemic Fueling Child Labor | Leading Human Rights Scholars Stand with Maritza and Adareli by Filing a Supplement under the USMCA | USDOL Withdraws “Independent Contract Rule” | CBP Ramps Up Efforts to Fight Forced Labor
U.S. Bans Imports from Malaysian Palm Oil Company FGV | 187 UN Member States Ratify Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor | Seafood Working Group Relaunches with New Advisory Body | Union Busting and Unfair Dismissals: Garment Workers During COVID-19 | Brazil Court Rules in Favor of Anti-Slavery “Dirty List”
Workers who handle waste and recyclables support the health of our communities, economies, and the environment at the expense of their own health and wellbeing. On a daily basis, they may be exposed to hazardous materials, such as household cleaners, pesticides, and medical waste. The COVID-19 pandemic only heightens these health risks, particularly to informal waste pickers who collect the recyclable materials that we throw in the trash.
In many countries, including major producing nations such as Brazil and Colombia, workers in the coffee sector have been defined as essential workers who must continue to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, Verité has been engaging stakeholders in The Cooperation On Fair, Free Equitable Employment (COFFEE) Project to learn about the impacts COVID-19 is having on coffee farmers and farmworkers and to explore potential actions that could mitigate the effects of the pandemic on them.