September 24, 2024 | 00.46
READING TIME: 2 minutes
Amazon, Tesla, Meta, ExxonMobil, Blackstone, Vanguard, Glencore are some of the mega companies that, according to a report of the International Trade Union Confederation (Ituc) work to weaken democracy around the world, financing far-right political movements, exacerbating the climate crisis and violating trade union and human rights. The companies cited are not the only ones. There are many others among public companies in Russia, China and Saudi Arabia, private military contractors or anti-regulation technology start-ups.
Amazonthe brainchild of Jeff Bezos and the world’s fifth-largest employer, the largest online retail and cloud services platform, has a profound impact on businesses and the communities in which it operates. “The company has been known for its anti-union activities, low wages for its workers on multiple continents, its monopoly on online commerce, carbon emissions from its data centers, tax evasion, and lobbying at home and abroad,” the report says. But it has also funded far-right political groups’ efforts to weaken women’s rights and anti-trust laws. Sales sites are used by extremist groups to gather funding and sell products.
Tesla Elon Musk has an anti-union policy in the United States, Germany and Sweden. Human rights abuses along its supply chain. And Elon Musk’s opposition to unions and democracy. Support for Donald Trump in the United States, Javier Milei in Argentina and Narendra Modi in India. Half Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook allows far-right propaganda and groups to use its platform to rally followers and support in the U.S. and abroad.
Glencore was included in the report for its role in funding campaigns around the world against indigenous communities and activists. Blackstonethe private equity firm of Trump-backing billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, is singled out for its role in funding far-right political movements, investments in fossil fuel projects, and deforestation in the Amazon. “Blackstone’s network has spent tens of millions of dollars supporting politicians and political forces who promise to prevent or eliminate regulations that could make it prosecutable.”
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