A Geneva-based international labor federation, IndustriALL, condemned working conditions at Glencore mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo owned by commodity giant Glencore. The company responded to the criticism defensively, saying that the accusations were unfounded and factually inaccurate. Glencore is one of the biggest suppliers of cobalt and has multi-million dollar contracts with Apple, Volkswagen, and other multinational corporations. It accounts for roughly 40% of the world’s cobalt supply, a key component of the batteries needed to power electric cars and other electronics. The incident reflects growing scrutiny towards mining companies that are increasingly desperate to market their products as being ethically-sourced.
See "Glencore Faces Off Against Labor Group on Congo Mine Conditions", Thomas Wilson, Bloomberg Markets, March 23, 2018