The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. It must also set aside $1.5 million to help the immigrant minors who were illegally employed.

The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. It must also set aside $1.5 million to help the immigrant minors who were illegally employed.

Immigrant children as young as 14 were found working illegally amid dangerous heavy equipment at a Tennessee firm that makes parts for lawn mowers sold by John Deere and other companies, according to Labor Department officials.

The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. As part of a consent agreement with the federal government, the company is also required to set aside $1.5 million to help the children who were illegally employed. Ryan Pott, general counsel for Tuff Torq’s majority owner, the Japanese firm Yanmar, acknowledged the violations to NBC News.

  • EvilLootbox@lemmy.worldEnglish
    311·
    9 months ago

    John Deere really continuing to speedrun the Most Hated Company in America challenge I see

    • jordanlund@lemmy.world
      88·
      9 months ago

      Well, they are 2 positions removed here… Staffing company illegally supplied the kids to a 3rd party supplier of John Deere.

      It would be like, I dunno, someone hiring illegal employees for a glass company selling bottles to Coca Cola.

      • EvilLootbox@lemmy.worldEnglish
        221·
        9 months ago

        It’s still their responsibility to audit their suppliers. At the very least to have them pledge to not use child labour with contract penalties. I have a friend who travels at random to China to do drop-in unannounced checks for apparel companies to make sure they’re meeting labour standards and actually doing the work in-house and not sub-subcontracing.

        It’s super common for low bidders to have nice show factories that give a good tour, but then just pawn the work off elsewhere when companies don’t actively check or care. I can’t imagine Deere gave a shit to allow this from their supplier, especially with no statement from them even saying they were hoodwinked or anything.

      • n3m37h@sh.itjust.works
        15·
        9 months ago

        There are things called down chain audits, like how Nestle knows all about the forced child labour that goes on in their supply chains and still refuses to part with said companies because it will make chocolate more expensive

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
        4·
        9 months ago

        Place I was at just had multiple people working on the same name. X was the official employee and X officially works 80 hours a week. X is two people one of which doesn’t have papers.