Toxic extraction, toxic culture
Another mining giant has been found out as a toxic cesspool. Glencore was fined $1 billion today after admitting it bribed several countries in sub-Saharan Africa for preferential access to oil. The current chairman argued the company had changed since these incidents occurred.
This comes after Rio Tinto’s report into its workplace culture earlier in the year. Half the company’s employees experienced bullying in the last five years. Indigenous people mostly bore the brunt. The bullies were often rewarded with promotions. Many praised the transparency of the report and the CEO apologised. Most of Rio Tinto’s employees were confident the culture would improve.
But should it surprise anyone that these organisations, dedicated to razing the earth in order to make a profit, had a toxic culture? When your business is destruction and extraction we shouldn’t be shocked that the psyche of its people is malevolent and domineering.