CSR News Stories
US: GlaxoSmithKline could face $6bn risk over diabetes drug Avandia
Following biting criticism of its conduct by the Senate finance committee, GlaxoSmithKline is facing a possible flood of lawsuits - as many as 13,000 - with a potential combined liability of $6bn.
Bangladesh: 21 people killed in factory fire
21 workers died and 50 were hurt when a factory owned by Garib & Garib caught fire. The site at Gazipur saw workers trapped by the blaze, which took eleven fire engines several hours to bring under control.
Uganda: Tullow Oil controversially get licence to flare gas
Tullow Oil has reached agreement with the Ugandan government that it will be allowed to flare gas at its operations in the country - a process that would release large quantities of greenhouse gases, according to an NGO report.
UK: Alcohol health labelling may become compulsory
The drinks industry may be required to add health warnings to alcoholic drinks according to proposals published by the government, after it was revealed that only a minority of drinks currently carry approved voluntary labelling.
US: Key companies quit climate change coalition
BP, Caterpillar and ConocoPhillips have said that they are to pull membership of the Climate Action Partnership - the group of companies that had been supporting President Obama's climate change legislation agenda. The companies said they would devote resources to furthering their business interests in other ways.
Australia: Google refuses government request to censor videos
Google has refused to block access to videos that fall foul of the Australian government's 'refused classification' category, arguing that to do so would mean the removal of a number of harmless pieces that are considered to be politically controversial.
Japan: Court finds tobacco company not liable for illnesses
Japan Tobacco has been cleared of liability for the illnesses of three former smokers by the Yokohama District Court. The suit said that health problems, including lung cancer, had been caused by smoking and the company had continued to sell cigarettes despite its knowledge of the harmful effects.
UK mining groups failing to reduce deaths
The leading UK-listed mining companies are failing to make inroads in their attempts to reduce deaths at their sites, according to a recent survey by the Financial Times. With the exception of Anglo American, which has made progress, the number of fatalities has remained at 2004 levels.
Zambia: Chinese companies accused of creating 'slave labour' conditions
The leader of Zambia's main opposition party, Michael Sata, has said that Chinese and other Asian mining companies are showing almost no consideration for worker safety or local culture. Mr Sata - who may become the new president in elections in 2011 - attacked current government policies that give special tax status to foreign investors.
UK: GlaxoSmithKline targets low cost vaccine for malaria
GlaxoSmithKline has said that it will aim to keep prices for its planned malaria vaccine low - taking only a five percent profit on manufacturing costs - in order to make it available to poor communities where it is needed. The company has also put into the public domain thousands of potential drugs that might help spark future non-profit research into the disease.
South Africa: Apartheid case against companies divides opinion
A US court has been hearing an appeal by a number of companies, including IBM, Daimler and General Motors, to dismiss a suit that seeks damages from them for their role in South Africa during the time of Apartheid. The appeal argues that the US court has no jurisdiction over the matter, and companies could not be held responsible for the actions of the then South African government.
US: Pension group TIAA-Cref disinvests from Sudan
TIAA-Cref has announced that it is sellings its stakes in four companies that have failed to respond to its concerns about operations in Sudan. The move makes it the first major US asset manager to take this action.
US: UTStarcom pays $3m for China bribery
US telecoms company UTStarcom has been fined $3m for a longstanding approach to winning business in China that involved bribing officials with cash, holidays in locations such as Hawaii disguised as training, and other gifts.
UK: Ryanair attacked for "puerile and childish" payment policy
The UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has attacked budget airline Ryanair for its payment policy. It said that the company was using a legal loophole to justify charging extra fees while advertising the lowest theoretical fares.
Netherlands: Nigeria case to be heard in Dutch court
A suit brought against oil giant Shell by four Nigerian farmers can be heard in a Dutch court, it has been ruled. Shell had opposed the move, arguing that it court had no authority in the case.
India: Balco executives arrested over chimney collapse
Police have arrested three executives, including a former vice president, of Bharat Aluminium Co (Balco) following a fatal accident which killed 40 workers. The three have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
US: Intel accused of 'bribery and coercion' by NY attorney-general
Intel has been targeted in a lawsuit detailing how it had allegedly maintained a dominant market position by using bribery and coercion to stifle fair competition.
BP faces damages claim over pipeline through Colombian farmland
BP is being sued by a group of Colombian farmers who say that the company's activities have damaged their land and crops. The case, which is the first of its kind being brought in a UK court, alleges that the company's Colombian subsidiary has caused landslides and pollution to water supplies and soil.
UK: Survey shows impact bad management has on staff
Almost half of workers polled in the UK said that they had left a job because of bad management and that, given the option, they would rather take a pay cut than be managed by someone with poor skills.
US: BP challenges record fine for explosions in Texas
Oil giant BP has said that it will challenge a record fine of over $87m levied for failing to correct problems that led to the explosion in 2005 that killed 15 workers.
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Special Feature
Values carved in stone
While TV documentaries focus on children working in textiles, an altogether tougher, more difficult issue gets little attention. Watch this - and you'll never buy paving for your patio or driveway without asking a few questions first.
Interviews
Leo Martin: Lessons from eight years of GoodCorporation
Leo Martin gives some plain speaking on a range of issues relating to responsible business, with some lessons that are both insightful and provocative.
Currently most popular articles
US: GlaxoSmithKline could face $6bn risk over diabetes drug Avandia (6 Mar 2010)
Four factors that create irresponsible businesses (25 Jan 2010)
Arguments against corporate social responsibility - redoubled (26 Oct 2008)
Why even some of the best companies fail to keep cool in a crisis (16 Feb 2010)
