Violação: maus-tratos, crueldade e ameaças contra trabalhadores, assédio sexual de mulheres trabalhadoras, pela BIDCO, uma plantação industrial de óleo de palma
opens in a new windowBIDCO, an agro-industry giant, has been in existence since 2002. The company is owned by the transnational corporation Wilmar, its subsidiary Oil Palm Uganda Limited (OPUL) and the Government of opens in a new windowUganda with support from the World Bank. The company came into the Kalangala Islands full of promises of employment, prosperity and improving livelihoods. The cultivation of oil palms is not native to Uganda and since it was introduced, the islanders who are formerly fisherfolk and smallholder farmers are struggling to survive.
A Sarah Namasisi, tal como muitos outros, decidiu trabalhar na plantação, com a esperança de começar o seu próprio negócio. Durante um ano e oito meses, a colheu de uma ponta a outra da plantação - a pé (caminhando 18 quilómetros por dia).
opens in a new windowBIDCO has complete disregard for workers on the palm oil plantations. When some workers began to experience serious impacts on their physical health due to the arduous work of palm oil harvesting and processing, including ulcers, respiratory illness, backaches and more – the corporation did not care. Women also face widespread sexual harassment where they were expected to exchange sexual favours for their salaries.
Children born on the plantation are treated as unrecognised employees – while their parents work, they are encouraged to pick seeds for a little bit of extra money. The chemicals used on the plantation have also proven to be toxic, causing respiratory problems for many. The company also refuses to provide workers with the equipment to protect themselves or any medical treatment. In 2019, when Sarah walked away from her job at BIDCO, she was sick, broke and homeless.
A Sarah, e muitos outros, procuraram e continuam a questionar a empresa por tais abusos e violações dos seus direitos como trabalhadores e seres humanos, as suas vozes são respondidas com ameaças de perda de emprego ou de expulsão. Todos os esforços para sobre as práticas desumanas da BIDCO forma rapidamente afastadas e silenciadas. Quando a Sarah mostrou estar preocupada com a sua saúde disseram-lhe para “escrever e submeter um pedido de rescisão.” A BIDCO continua a funcionar impune e, tanto os seus trabalhadores antigos, como os actuais, têm acesso limitado à justiça.
*Foi usado um nome diferente para proteger a identidade desta activista.
Fonte do testemunho e imagens: @GRAIN.org
“Sarah Namasisi, like many others, made the decision to work at the plantation with the hopes of starting her own business. For a year and eight months, Sarah counted oil palm harvests from one corner of the plantation to the other – on foot (walking 18 kilometres every single day).”
