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Apartheid Claims Task Force Sues Gold Fields for Sub-human Conditions and Uranium Water
"Gold Fields appears to have cared more about their profits that they did about their employees... all of whom were forced to live in and work under sub-human conditions, exposed to dangerous substances and without adequate safety equipment and facilities. And, the only reason for this was that the labourers were 'black'. "ACT demands that Gold Fields produce 'secret' reports about the dangerous conditions in the mines, including uranium contaminated water. Gold mine workers have been exposed and are now becoming sick and are dying - just like what happened and is happening to asbestos workers."
Gold Fields in apartheid case
01/05/2003 18:41 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The Apartheid Claims Task Force (ACT) will file a lawsuit worth billions of dollars in New York against South African gold mining company Gold Fields for making blacks work under "sub-human" conditions.
"This complaint is different than the apartheid lawsuits that have already been filed," ACT lawyer John Ngcebetsha said in a media statement on Thursday.
"Gold Fields appears to have cared more about their profits that they did about their employees... all of whom were forced to live in and work under sub-human conditions, exposed to dangerous substances and without adequate safety equipment and facilities.
"And, the only reason for this was that the labourers were 'black'."
ACT has filed or announced plans to file class-action lawsuits against several international companies, such as Swiss and US banks, car manufacturers, pharmaceutical conglomerates and mining companies De Beers and Anglo American, on the grounds that they benefited under South Africa's apartheid regime.
US attorney Ed Fagan, who spearheaded a successful claim against Swiss banks on behalf of Holocaust victims, is involved in the ACT lawsuits.
The Gold Fields lawsuit results from information gathered during interviews with complainants in the apartheid compensation cases, and relate to "unlawful practices dating back to the apartheid era and continuing to the present".
Ngcebetsha said ACT was planning to file a damages claim of over $7bn against Gold Fields for unsafe working conditions later this month.
"ACT demands that Gold Fields produce 'secret' reports about the dangerous conditions in the mines, including uranium contaminated water.
"Gold mine workers have been exposed and are now becoming sick and are dying - just like what happened and is happening to asbestos workers."
The claims will be filed in New York, where Gold Fields, one of the world's largest gold companies, has shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
"The lawsuit is very important to the issue of labourers' rights, safety in the workplace and the corporate responsibility of multi-national companies - including companies registered in South Africa that are doing business and soliciting investors through the United States," Ngcebetsha said.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Finance/Companies/0,,2-8-24_1354273,00.html
01/05/2003 18:41 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The Apartheid Claims Task Force (ACT) will file a lawsuit worth billions of dollars in New York against South African gold mining company Gold Fields for making blacks work under "sub-human" conditions.
"This complaint is different than the apartheid lawsuits that have already been filed," ACT lawyer John Ngcebetsha said in a media statement on Thursday.
"Gold Fields appears to have cared more about their profits that they did about their employees... all of whom were forced to live in and work under sub-human conditions, exposed to dangerous substances and without adequate safety equipment and facilities.
"And, the only reason for this was that the labourers were 'black'."
ACT has filed or announced plans to file class-action lawsuits against several international companies, such as Swiss and US banks, car manufacturers, pharmaceutical conglomerates and mining companies De Beers and Anglo American, on the grounds that they benefited under South Africa's apartheid regime.
US attorney Ed Fagan, who spearheaded a successful claim against Swiss banks on behalf of Holocaust victims, is involved in the ACT lawsuits.
The Gold Fields lawsuit results from information gathered during interviews with complainants in the apartheid compensation cases, and relate to "unlawful practices dating back to the apartheid era and continuing to the present".
Ngcebetsha said ACT was planning to file a damages claim of over $7bn against Gold Fields for unsafe working conditions later this month.
"ACT demands that Gold Fields produce 'secret' reports about the dangerous conditions in the mines, including uranium contaminated water.
"Gold mine workers have been exposed and are now becoming sick and are dying - just like what happened and is happening to asbestos workers."
The claims will be filed in New York, where Gold Fields, one of the world's largest gold companies, has shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
"The lawsuit is very important to the issue of labourers' rights, safety in the workplace and the corporate responsibility of multi-national companies - including companies registered in South Africa that are doing business and soliciting investors through the United States," Ngcebetsha said.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Finance/Companies/0,,2-8-24_1354273,00.html
For more information:
http://www.news24.com/News24/Finance/Compa...
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