Unilever in the McSpotlight

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Unilever in the McSpotlight

| What's Wrong With Unilever? | Opposition & Campaigns | Company Profile |

Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch company with subsidiaries in many countries. It is a big player in unfairly traded commodities, trading with the south in tea, coffee and vegetable oils. Their detergent, soap and other chemical subsidiaries have been convicted several times for water pollution offences and they have also been criticised for regressive treatment of workers and for unnecessary testing of cosmetics on animals. More recently they have been accused of making misleading remarks on their stance on the issue of genetic engineering

Unilever is part of the chemicals industry

It is not only the specific practices of individual companies that cause problems. The attitudes created by the current system of exploitation gives power and profits to the few, at the expense of people, animals and the environment. It is important to expose the unethical practices of specific companies as their behavior is often indicative of the entire system.

What's Wrong With ?

	Irresponsible marketing Unipath has been criticised for a free offer of multivitamins (including Vitamin A) with its pregnancy testing kits. Both the Maternal Alliance and the Centre for Pregnancy and Nutrition pointed out that, in 1990, the Department of Health advised pregnant women to avoid taking dietary supplements containing vitamin A because of the risk of birth defects. Greenpeace have accused Unilever of 'conning the public and stalling for time' with regard to the issue of using genetically engineered products. Unilever 'takes a positive view of genetic engineering'. The company does not have an overall stance on genetic engineering, but takes a country by country decision, so Unilever Germany does not currently use genetically engineered products while others do. [The Ethical Consumer Guide to Everyday Shopping published by the Ethical Consumer Research Association.] [Greenpeace, 1997]
	Exploiting employees In June 1989, workers occupied the Gessy Lever plant in Sau Paulo, Brazil, seeking better pay and conditions. Although the company did eventually agree to a pay rise, 87 workers were sacked for taking action, and company management failed to recognise an elected factory committee. [The Ethical Consumer Guide to Everyday Shopping published by the Ethical Consumer Research Association.]
	Supporting brutal / repressive regimes Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch company with subsidiaries in South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uganda. [The Ethical Consumer Guide to Everyday Shopping published by the Ethical Consumer Research Association.]
	Environment Lever Brother features on Greenpeace's ' Murder on the Mersey' list of companies polluting the Mersey. According to the Registers of the UK's National River Authority and/or the River Purification Boards of Scotland, in the year to 31/3/91, the company exceeded its discharge consent three or more times. Also, between 1/9/89 and 31/8/91 the company was convicted for water pollution offences. In 1990, Crosfield Chemicals, was fined £35,000 after leaking fifty tonnes of concentrated sulphuric acid into sewage systems in Warrington. In 1991, a sulphuric acid plant in Nairobi which supplies Unilever was closed down for three months because sulphur dioxide emissions were above WHO limits. [The Ethical Consumer Guide to Everyday Shopping published by the Ethical Consumer Research Association.]
	Abusing animals Unilever is on the PETA list of companies that test on animals. Products tested include cosmetics, toiletries, household cleaners, foods, food additives and chemicals. Unilever owns Birds Eye, Walls, John West and other companies manufacturing meat products. In 1991 the Chairman of Birds Eye Wall's revealed that the company annually imported 30,000 tonnes of beef from Brazil for burgers and other meat products. [The Ethical Consumer Guide to Everyday Shopping published by the Ethical Consumer Research Association.]

Credits and References: Most of the information in this section was taken from The Ethical Consumer Guide to Everyday Shopping published by the Ethical Consumer Research Association, and from Corporate Watch

Opposition and Campaigns

Exploitation and profiteering do not need to exist. A better way of running our lives can be created based on the sharing of resources and on respect for each other and for nature. Increasingly people are questioning and challenging those with power and are seeking alternatives. Let's hope it's possible to make a difference.

Christian Aid
Genetic Engineering Network (GEN)
Greenpeace

Company Profile

Products and brandnames:

Cosmetics: Rimmel, Cutex, Elizabeth Arden, Sensiq
Beauty products: Ponds, Vaseline Intensive Care, Close-up
Shampoo: All Clear, Cream Silk, Dimension, Pears, Sunsilk, Timotei, Organics, Salon Selectives
Soap: Dove, Knights Castile, Lifebouy, Lux, Pears, Sunsight
Toothpaste: Shield, Signal, SR, Mentadent
Aftershave: Lynx, Axe, Rexona, Degree, Suave, Zhong Hua, cK one
Washing powder and laundry liquids: Persil, Radion, Surf, Wisk
Washing up liquid: Persil, Sqezy, Sunlight
Oils, Fats, Butter & Margarine: Cookeen, Dante, Delight, Outline, I can't believe it's not butter!, Blue Band, Echo, Flora, Krona, Olivio, Stork, Summer Country, Spry Crisp 'n' Dry
Tea and coffee: Lipton, Lyons, Brooke Bond, Red Mountain
Cleaning products: Jif, Wisk Liquid Bleach, Omo
Other brandnames: Walls, Benedicta, Batchelors, Farrows, John West, Choice, Persona contraceptive

Postal address(es):
Unilever: Unilever House
Blackfriars
London EC4 4BQ
UK

Unilever PLC:
Port Sunlight
Wirral
Merseyside
L62 4ZA

Phone number(s):
0151 644 8684

Fax number(s):
not known

Online presence:

Email address(es): postmaster@unilever.com
Web site(s): www.unilever.com
Domain name(s): unilever.com

This information is provided by the McSpotlight internet site, http://www.mcspotlight.org, the most comprehensive source of information about multinationals ever assembled. Please send us any more relevant information for consideration. This page can be printed as a self-standing leaflet. Anti-copyright - please distribute as widely as possible.

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