The lawsuit filed in the US against Hershey, Mars, Nestlé for child labor in West Africa

WhatsAppWhatsAppFacebookFacebookTwitterTwitterPinterestPinterestRedditRedditGmailGmailShareShare

Last updated on February 16th, 2021 at 07:09 am

Human Rights group lawyers have filed a legal case against big chocolate companies like Mars, Nestlé, and Hershey charging complicity in child forced labor and trafficking, on Friday. 

The case has been registered in Washington by a human rights law firm International Rights Advocates (IRA) on part of eight children.

The case has been filed on behalf of eight Malian men who say that they had been forced to gather cocoa in the Ivory Coast after they were trafficked as children. Altogether, the suit named seven significant cocoa companies: Nestle, Hershey, Mars, Cargill, Mondelez, Olam, Barry Callebaut. 

According to the charges, the children had to work extra hours with no compensation and in inhuman conditions in the West African country. The chocolate companies are also accused of actively deceiving the general public in their 2001 vow to eliminate child labor. 

The plaintiffs are from Mali and are presently seeking damages for the forced labor that they have faced and asking for compensation for negligent supervision, overwork, and mental stress that they have experienced for a long time.

However, this is the first time that a case like this has been registered against chocolate companies; there have been a few records and reports that have stressed such circumstances and encounters of a few minors. 

As per the Guardian, there have been various reports regarding human rights abuse, low compensation, and child labor in West Africa, which supplies almost 45 percent of cocoa to the globe. 

The eight kids have accused the chocolate companies of making them work in Mali utilizing deception, trickery, and trafficking across the line to Ivory Coast’s cocoa fields

As per the Guardian, forced labor and child trafficking, human rights abuse, low wages, extra work, has been linked with West Africa for many years.

Uttara J Malhotra

Recent Posts

UK Defence Boost to Create Scottish Jobs, Says Reeves

During the Babcock Fife visit, Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised UK export finance program funds by £2 billion. The new funding…

March 14, 2025

Tamil Nadu Govt Announces ₹20,000 for Every Gig Workers to Purchase E-Scooters

In a major decision, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu presented a new scheme in the state’s 2025-26 budget through…

March 14, 2025

Tesla Expands Autonomous Testing Fleet in California

Tesla started operating 224 driver trainers with 104 vehicles under its autonomous driving test permit in December in California. In…

March 14, 2025

Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Agency Staff Purge, Orders Reinstatements

Judge William Alsup finds federal government should restore positions to all probationary workers whose employment ended unlawfully. On Thursday a…

March 13, 2025

New UK Immigration Rules: Care Firms Must Hire Local Migrant Workers First

The UK government has brought in new regulations for employing staff within the care industry. From April 9, 2025 care…

March 13, 2025

Afghan Migrants in Panama: Facing Hard Choices and an Uncertain Future

Afghan migrants deported from the United States to Panama now face an uncertain future. Many of these deportees feel stranded…

March 13, 2025