BAT must take responsibility for conditions on US tobacco farms!

The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) is working to secure rights and decent working conditions for tobacco farm workers in the US. FLOC has been seeking a meeting with Reynolds American (RAI), the country's 2nd largest tobacco company, to discuss the living and working conditions of field workers in Reynolds' home state of North Carolina. The company refuses to meet, claiming they have no responsibility for these workers.

The IUF holds British American Tobacco, which owns 42% of RAI and has 5 out of 12 seats on the board of directors, equally responsible for the conditions of tobacco farm workers in North Carolina. Write to BAT corporate management insisting that they assume their responsibility and use their influence to persuade RAI to meet with FLOC and begin working to improve the working and living conditions of the poorest and most vulnerable workers in their supply chain!

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Type in your message here - or just use the existing message. Richard Burrows, Chairman, BAT Paul Adams, CEO, BAT Michael Prideaux, Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Dear Sirs: We have been informed of the appalling living and working conditions of migrant tobacco farm workers in the US state of North Carolina. We also understand that most of the tobacco used to manufacture brands produced by Reynolds American, in which BAT has a 42% shareholding, comes from the state of North Carolina. FLOC, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, has been seeking a meeting with Reynolds American since 2007 in order to address the conditions on North Carolina tobacco farms. As a result of Reynolds American's continued refusal to meet - on the grounds that it is not responsible for conditions on the farms which produce its tobacco - FLOC launched a public campaign to support the call for a meeting. Now Reynolds American is using the existence of the campaign as an added pretext not to meet. We maintain that Reynolds American is responsible and call on BAT to assume its responsibility as major shareholder and do the right thing by encouraging the company to meet with FLOC and begin working to improve the working and living conditions of the poorest and most vulnerable workers in their supply chain. Yours sincerely, If you would like to receive future urgent action alerts from us, please check this box:

Date updated : 05-Jul-2010 Language : en Status: active