Special report : Inside the Congo cobalt mines that exploit children

Sky News

27 Feb 201706:17

Summary

TLDRIn the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), thousands of unregulated mines exploit children working in harsh conditions, earning meager wages. The DRC, rich in minerals like cobalt—a critical component in lithium-ion batteries—sees children as young as four mining without gloves or masks, risking health and safety. The cobalt is sold cheaply to Chinese traders and ends up in global batteries, fueling multinational corporations while the miners suffer. Amnesty International's investigation revealed human rights abuses, but little has changed, with child labor persisting for the production of coveted minerals.

Takeaways

🌍 The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has numerous unregulated and unmonitored mines where children work under harsh conditions.
👧 Children as young as four are involved in mining, losing their childhoods to labor in these dangerous environments.
💰 The work is poorly paid, with children earning as little as the equivalent of a pound for a 12-hour day of labor.
🛠️ Mining operations are rudimentary, with hand-dug tunnels and no safety equipment, leading to frequent collapses and health hazards.
🔋 Cobalt is a critical mineral in lithium-ion batteries, making it highly valuable for the technology industry.
📱 Cobalt mined by these children ends up in products like smartphones and laptops, powering devices used worldwide.
😔 The children face severe hardships, including hunger and potential beatings for mistakes, with one child having gone two days without food.
🤝 The Cobalt is sold cheaply to Chinese traders, who often act as intermediaries for larger Chinese companies.
🔄 There is a complex supply chain that allows multinational corporations to deny responsibility for the conditions in which the Cobalt is mined.
🏥 Exposure to Cobalt can cause long-term health problems, and miners work without gloves or masks, increasing their risk.
🏭 An investigation by Amnesty International revealed human rights abuses in the mining industry, but little has changed since then.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script?
-The main issue discussed is the exploitation of child labor in unregulated mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where children work under harsh conditions to mine Cobalt, a critical ingredient in lithium-ion batteries.
What are the working conditions like for the children in these mines?
-The children work in wretched conditions, often without shoes, gloves, or masks, and are exposed to hazardous materials like Cobalt dust, which can cause long-term health problems.
How much does a day's work earn these children?
-A 12-hour day of hard work may earn them as little as the equivalent of a pound or eight British Pence.
What is the significance of Cobalt in the context of the script?
-Cobalt is a critical ingredient in lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices, making it more precious than gold in the current market.
What is the role of multinational corporations in this scenario?
-Multinational corporations, particularly in America and China, are indirectly benefiting from the cheap Cobalt mined by these children, as it is used in the production of batteries for their products.
How does the script describe the physical work of the child miners?
-The script describes the physical work as punishing, with children climbing down unsecured tunnels, digging by hand, and sorting minerals without any safety equipment.
What are the health risks associated with Cobalt exposure?
-Exposure to Cobalt and breathing in its dust fumes can cause long-term health problems, as stated by the World Health Organization.
How does the script illustrate the urgency and danger faced by the child miners?
-The script illustrates this through the story of Dorsan, who is told he risks a beating if he makes a mistake, and the description of tunnels that frequently collapse, especially during rain.
What is the age range of the children working in the mines according to the script?
-The script mentions children as young as four years old, like Monica, and as old as 12 years, like Natalie, working in the mines.
How is the Cobalt from these mines eventually sold and distributed?
-The Cobalt is sold cheaply to mostly Chinese traders, who then sell it to Chinese parent companies that supply some of the world's biggest battery makers.
What is the implication of the supply chain described in the script?
-The intricate supply chain allows multinational corporations to deny direct involvement in the exploitation of child labor, as they are several steps removed from the actual mining process.

Outlines

00:00

😢 Child Labor in the DRC's Unregulated Mines

This paragraph exposes the grim reality of child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) unregulated and unmonitored mines. Children, likened to modern-day slaves, work in harsh and hazardous conditions for up to 12 hours a day, earning as little as a pound for their labor. Despite the DRC's wealth in minerals, its history of exploitation continues with the current rush for Cobalt, a critical component in lithium-ion batteries. The children, some as young as four, work without shoes and in wretched conditions, risking their health and safety. The Cobalt they mine is sold to Chinese traders, who supply some of the world's largest battery manufacturers, ultimately ending up in smartphones and laptops. The multinational corporations profit immensely from this labor, while the children suffer in poverty.

05:01

🛍️ The Cobalt Trade: A Supply Chain of Exploitation

The second paragraph delves into the intricacies of the Cobalt trade, highlighting the lack of transparency and accountability in the supply chain. Chinese traders, and some Indian-owned trading markets, purchase Cobalt without questioning its origin or the conditions under which it was mined. The Cobalt is then sold to Chinese parent companies, which supply major battery manufacturers. These batteries, containing Cobalt mined by exploited child laborers, end up in everyday devices like smartphones. An Amnesty International investigation revealed human rights abuses in this industry, but little has changed. The child miners, who may never own a smartphone, continue to work for meager earnings, facing a lifetime of hard labor from a young age.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡DRC

DRC stands for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country where the video's events are taking place. It is depicted as one of the poorest countries on Earth, yet rich in minerals. The DRC's wealth in natural resources, particularly cobalt, is central to the video's theme of exploitation and child labor in the mining industry.

💡Unregulated Mines

Unregulated mines refer to mining operations that are not governed by laws or oversight, often leading to unsafe conditions and exploitation. In the video, these mines are described as places where children work in harsh and hazardous conditions, highlighting the lack of regulation and the dire consequences for the workers.

💡Child Labor

Child labor is the employment of children in conditions that may be harmful to their physical, mental, or social development. The video script emphasizes the plight of children working in the mines, enduring long hours and dangerous conditions for minimal pay, which is a key aspect of the exploitation narrative.

💡Cobalt

Cobalt is a mineral that is critical for the production of lithium-ion batteries, which power many electronic devices including smartphones and laptops. The video highlights the abundance of cobalt in the DRC and its increasing value, which paradoxically contributes to the harsh working conditions of the child miners.

💡Lithium-ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries commonly used in portable electronics. The script mentions that cobalt is a key ingredient in these batteries, illustrating the connection between the demand for consumer electronics and the labor conditions in the mines.

💡Multinational Corporations

Multinational corporations are large companies that operate in multiple countries. The video script implies that these corporations are indirectly benefiting from the child labor in the DRC mines, as the cobalt mined by the children is used in the products they manufacture.

💡Supply Chain

A supply chain refers to the network of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in producing and delivering a product or service. The video discusses the intricate supply chain of cobalt from the DRC mines to the batteries in smartphones, emphasizing the disconnect between the end product and the labor conditions at the source.

💡Health Problems

Health problems in the context of the video refer to the long-term health issues faced by miners due to exposure to cobalt and working in unsafe conditions. The World Health Organization's warning about the dangers of cobalt exposure is cited, and specific cases of miners suffering from health issues are mentioned.

💡Amnesty Investigation

The Amnesty investigation mentioned in the script refers to a study conducted by Amnesty International, a human rights organization, which found human rights abuses in the mining industry. This investigation underscores the ongoing issue of exploitation and the lack of improvement despite awareness.

💡Chinese Traders

Chinese traders are highlighted in the script as the primary buyers of the cobalt mined by the child laborers. The video suggests that these traders, along with the Chinese parent company, are part of the supply chain that leads to the production of batteries in electronic devices.

💡Exploitation

Exploitation in this context refers to the unfair treatment of workers, particularly children, who are forced to work in harsh conditions for little pay. The video's theme of exploitation is evident in the descriptions of the children's working conditions and the profits made by corporations using the mined cobalt.

Highlights

Thousands of unregulated and unmonitored mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) exploit children in harsh conditions.

Children in the DRC work 12-hour days for as little as a pound, despite the country's rich mineral resources.

A history of brutal colonial exploitation is being repeated, with much of the mining done by hand using rudimentary tools.

Cobalt, a critical ingredient in lithium iron batteries, is abundant in the DRC and is becoming more precious than gold.

Children as young as four are involved in the mining production, working in wretched conditions without shoes.

The work environment is risky, with frequent collapses of hand-dug tunnels that lack support structures.

Exposure to cobalt and its dust can cause long-term health problems, according to the World Health Organization.

Children work without gloves or masks, risking severe health issues from cobalt exposure.

The cobalt mined by children is sold cheaply to Chinese traders, who are the dominant force in the market.

An intricate supply chain allows multinational corporations to deny involvement in the exploitation of child labor.

An investigation by Amnesty International found human rights abuses in the cobalt mining industry, with little change since.

Most child miners will never own a smartphone, despite their labor contributing to the production of these devices.

The harsh reality of child labor in the DRC contrasts with the multinationals' profits from the sale of cobalt.

The DRC's cobalt mining industry is characterized by a lack of safety equipment and protections for workers.

The report documents the lives of child miners like Dorsan and Richard, who face beatings and hunger.

Monica, the youngest worker at just four years old, represents the tragic loss of childhood due to mining.

Makumba Matba's story illustrates the physical toll of mining, with a large tumor likely caused by unsafe conditions.