Brazil’s Kaiser brewery added to “slave labour” list

Brazil | Heineken-owned Kaiser was added to the government's list of companies responsible for labour conditions analogous to slavery, Reuters reported on 6 October.

Kaiser was placed on the list for subcontracting Sider, a trucking company that delivered its beer in the state of Sao Paulo. In 2021, Sider was charged for submitting 23 of its drivers - 22 Venezuelans and one Haitian - to “slavery-like conditions”. Labour inspectors had found Sider drivers working illegally long hours of up to 18-hour per day with no paid time off. As the firm did not provide any lodging to them, the drivers had to sleep in their trucks.

Heineken claims innocent

In a statement, Heineken said it was not aware of the situation at Sider, which it no longer works with. Heineken also said it created a tool to monitor labour issues involving its subcontractors.

“Regarding the inclusion of Cervejarias Kaiser ... on the list, we are actively working to resolve the issue,” Heineken was quoted as saying by Reuters.

In Brazil, slavery is legally defined as forced labour as well as debt bondage, degrading work conditions and long hours that pose health risks.

More than just naming and shaming

The “slave labour” list is published every six months, with newly included companies remaining on it for two years, if no new offense is found within that period.

The purpose of this black list is twofold: it aims at naming and shaming incriminated firms, at the same time, it bars them from bidding for federal government contracts and from receiving state loans.

The list is also used by private banks to gauge credit risk and by international buyers concerned about their supply chains, Reuters reported.