New Report Shows the Cost of the Global Pineapple Industry to Workers and Communities

Angela Berst
Sociology-202
1:34pm
10/24/08

New Report Shows the Cost of the Global Pineapple Industry to Workers and Communities

The food corporations of the world do not show workers the respect that they deserve. This was found out through a report done by the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF). Pineapple workers have had to deal with a decrease in their wages and benefits, while their companies have seen an increase in profits. Large companies focus more on themselves as being “the world’s largest exporters of fresh and processed pineapple” than on the workers or environment. Employees health does not seem to be a concern to their employers because there have been many cases in which the employees health has been at risk. For example workers that do their jobs in areas where the pineapple is grown and even the people that are in range of these areas are at high risk. The workers have difficulty because of the sun and pesticide exposure. They get paid low wages for the amount and difficulty of work they complete; all of this has been revealed by the ILRF’s report. In order to give workers fair wages and respect, that is expected, government needs to make sure that companies can guarantee that “workers enjoy their internationally recognized rights and decent working conditions”. In order for positive change to happen the larger companies such as Dole and Del Monte must change their attitudes towards workers. This can be done by granting their employees fair and equal rights, including proper respect and wages. Overall this can help the economy because workers will have more money in order to spend on products and materials, which will help to regulate the economy.



"New Report Shows the Cost of the Global Pineapple Industry to Workers and Communities." Fresh Plaza. 22 Oct. 2008. 22 Oct. 2008 .