Procter & Gamble Accused of Unsafe Working Environment
13 October 2010
Gennady Onishchenko, chief of the Federal Consumer Protection Service, has accused Procter & Gamble of providing unsafe working conditions.
Onishchenko said 51 percent of the company’s employees in Moscow worked in harmful conditions, RIA-Novosti reported Tuesday. The number includes 25 percent of all female employees at the company, or 141 women, Onishchenko said late Monday.
P&G said it complied with Russian sanitary and safety standards.
Onishchenko pointed out that employees at the company’s plants in Novomoskovsk in the Tula region often take long sick leave. “Every worker, you see, was sick for nine days,” he said, apparently referring to a period of time this year that he didn’t specify. He said the rate was 11 percent higher than last year.
He said the breeches of safety rules included a noise level in the first half of the year that was 6 percent higher than allowed. He also accused the firm of providing substandard lighting and poor cleaning practices at working premises.
At a Procter & Gamble facility in Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region, 23 percent of staffers did not undergo medical checks, he said, adding that the company has similar violations at its plant in St. Petersburg.
P&G spokeswoman Yulia Mayorova said the Federal Consumer Protection Service or other agencies conducted no inspections of the company this year. “We are somewhat surprised by this statement,” she said by e-mail. “We are sure that all the company’s plants and offices comply” with state rules.
Se afișează postările cu eticheta RUSINE CORPORATISTA. Afișați toate postările
Se afișează postările cu eticheta RUSINE CORPORATISTA. Afișați toate postările
miercuri, 23 noiembrie 2011
Companie cu Principii, moncher...
"hai sa micsoram cutiile de detergent....dar sa marim pretul..."
P&G fined 211.2 million euros for price fixing
Germany's Henkel (HNKG_p.DE), which alerted the European Commission to the cartel in laundry detergents, was not fined. The penalty for Unilever was 104 million euros, while P&G was fined 211.2 million euros. The announcement confirmed a Reuters report from Monday.
The price fixing began when the companies, through a trade association, were working to make their detergents more environmentally friendly, EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told a news conference.
"The three companies took the opportunity of these discussions on environmental agreements promoted by their trade organization to organize a cartel," Almunia said, adding that the three agreed not to decrease prices when making their packages smaller and even agreed later to raise prices.
As part of the Commission's settlement procedure, the EU watchdog cut the fines by 10 percent in return for the firms' admission that they participated in the cartel, which the Commission had dubbed "Purity" in its investigation.
"By acknowledging their participation in the cartel, the companies enabled the Commission to swiftly conclude its investigation," Almunia said in a statement.
The fines were also reduced under the Commission's leniency program related to voluntary disclosure of information.
World No. 1 household products producer P&G owns the Tide, Gain and Era brands of washing powder, while Anglo-Dutch Unilever makes detergent products under the brand names Omo and Surf. Henkel owns the Persil brand in most of Europe, while Unilever owns it in Britain, Ireland and France.
The cartel operated in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands between 2002 and 2005, the regulator said.
Unilever said it had used the investigation findings to tighten up its internal procedures, adding that the fine was covered by provisions made in its 2010 results.
"All key managers in Europe have been retrained on the European competition rules and are well placed to participate fully in industrywide environmental initiatives," the company said in a statement.
P&G said it has taken the appropriate financial reserves for the case
"Perhaps more importantly, we have already taken the appropriate internal action, including strengthening our global compliance program, which includes extensive training, reinforcement of key policies and regular auditing," P&G spokesman Paul Fox said in a statement.
Henkel said it found out about the cartel activity during internal compliance audits in 2008 and immediately informed the regulators.
Unilever shares were up 0.8 percent at 19.31 pounds in London; Henkel stock was 0.9 percent higher at 43.85 euros. P&G shares were up 1 cent at $62.90 on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Commission can fine companies up to 10 percent of annual turnover for breaching EU competition rules. This is the third EU decision using the settlement procedure, after cases in the electronic chipmaking and animal feed sectors last year.
The EU watchdog raided the three firms in June 2008 on suspicion of price fixing, and also sought information from U.S.-based household products firm Sara Lee. (SLE.N) It has imposed fines close to 12 billion euros on cartels in the five years to 2010.
($1=.6912 euro)
P&G fined 211.2 million euros for price fixing
Germany's Henkel (HNKG_p.DE), which alerted the European Commission to the cartel in laundry detergents, was not fined. The penalty for Unilever was 104 million euros, while P&G was fined 211.2 million euros. The announcement confirmed a Reuters report from Monday.
The price fixing began when the companies, through a trade association, were working to make their detergents more environmentally friendly, EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told a news conference.
"The three companies took the opportunity of these discussions on environmental agreements promoted by their trade organization to organize a cartel," Almunia said, adding that the three agreed not to decrease prices when making their packages smaller and even agreed later to raise prices.
As part of the Commission's settlement procedure, the EU watchdog cut the fines by 10 percent in return for the firms' admission that they participated in the cartel, which the Commission had dubbed "Purity" in its investigation.
"By acknowledging their participation in the cartel, the companies enabled the Commission to swiftly conclude its investigation," Almunia said in a statement.
The fines were also reduced under the Commission's leniency program related to voluntary disclosure of information.
World No. 1 household products producer P&G owns the Tide, Gain and Era brands of washing powder, while Anglo-Dutch Unilever makes detergent products under the brand names Omo and Surf. Henkel owns the Persil brand in most of Europe, while Unilever owns it in Britain, Ireland and France.
The cartel operated in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands between 2002 and 2005, the regulator said.
Unilever said it had used the investigation findings to tighten up its internal procedures, adding that the fine was covered by provisions made in its 2010 results.
"All key managers in Europe have been retrained on the European competition rules and are well placed to participate fully in industrywide environmental initiatives," the company said in a statement.
P&G said it has taken the appropriate financial reserves for the case
"Perhaps more importantly, we have already taken the appropriate internal action, including strengthening our global compliance program, which includes extensive training, reinforcement of key policies and regular auditing," P&G spokesman Paul Fox said in a statement.
Henkel said it found out about the cartel activity during internal compliance audits in 2008 and immediately informed the regulators.
Unilever shares were up 0.8 percent at 19.31 pounds in London; Henkel stock was 0.9 percent higher at 43.85 euros. P&G shares were up 1 cent at $62.90 on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Commission can fine companies up to 10 percent of annual turnover for breaching EU competition rules. This is the third EU decision using the settlement procedure, after cases in the electronic chipmaking and animal feed sectors last year.
The EU watchdog raided the three firms in June 2008 on suspicion of price fixing, and also sought information from U.S.-based household products firm Sara Lee. (SLE.N) It has imposed fines close to 12 billion euros on cartels in the five years to 2010.
($1=.6912 euro)
Companie cu Principii, moncher...
Spionaj în gunoaiele Unilever
Concurenţa pentru ocuparea primului loc pe piaţă poate fi incorectă. Angajaţii companiei Procter&Gamble au investigat produsele pentru îngrijirea părului ale principalului rival, Unilever, ajungând până în stadiul de a scormoni prin gunoaiele sediului din Chicago al companiei.
Operaţiunea saltului prin gunoaie era un program de spionaj industrial de vreo 3 milioane de dolari, iniţiat în anul 2000. În urma acestei activităţi de cercetare, P&G a fost obligată să plătească competitorului ei suma de 10 milioane de dolari.
Cercetătorii-gunoieri au fost daţi afară şi au fost trimişi să se spele, având ocazia de a compara şamponul de la Procter&Gamble cu cel de la Unilever.
P&G, Unilever settle trashy matter
Spy case terms not released by either company
September 07, 2001|By From Tribune news services.
CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble Co. and Unilever said Thursday they reached a settlement of P&G's admission that it had rifled through a trash bin to obtain competitive information about its hair-care rival.
The companies declined to reveal any terms of the deal, which ended an embarrassing and likely expensive admission by P&G.
Unilever officials said the trash-digging took place outside its U.S. hair-care headquarters in downtown Chicago.
According to published reports, terms of the settlement could have involved a payment from P&G of at least $10 million to Unilever.
P&G admits Unilever garbage search
Regrets voiced about spying on hair-care unit
September 01, 2001|By Ameet Sachdev, Tribune staff reporter.
Talk about a bad hair day.
Procter & Gamble Co. has confessed to rifling through the trash to gain information on rival Unilever's hair-care business. A Unilever official confirmed Friday that the dumpster diving took place outside its U.S. hair-care headquarters at 325 N. Wells in downtown Chicago.
Concurenţa pentru ocuparea primului loc pe piaţă poate fi incorectă. Angajaţii companiei Procter&Gamble au investigat produsele pentru îngrijirea părului ale principalului rival, Unilever, ajungând până în stadiul de a scormoni prin gunoaiele sediului din Chicago al companiei.
Operaţiunea saltului prin gunoaie era un program de spionaj industrial de vreo 3 milioane de dolari, iniţiat în anul 2000. În urma acestei activităţi de cercetare, P&G a fost obligată să plătească competitorului ei suma de 10 milioane de dolari.
Cercetătorii-gunoieri au fost daţi afară şi au fost trimişi să se spele, având ocazia de a compara şamponul de la Procter&Gamble cu cel de la Unilever.
P&G, Unilever settle trashy matter
Spy case terms not released by either company
September 07, 2001|By From Tribune news services.
CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble Co. and Unilever said Thursday they reached a settlement of P&G's admission that it had rifled through a trash bin to obtain competitive information about its hair-care rival.
The companies declined to reveal any terms of the deal, which ended an embarrassing and likely expensive admission by P&G.
Unilever officials said the trash-digging took place outside its U.S. hair-care headquarters in downtown Chicago.
According to published reports, terms of the settlement could have involved a payment from P&G of at least $10 million to Unilever.
P&G admits Unilever garbage search
Regrets voiced about spying on hair-care unit
September 01, 2001|By Ameet Sachdev, Tribune staff reporter.
Talk about a bad hair day.
Procter & Gamble Co. has confessed to rifling through the trash to gain information on rival Unilever's hair-care business. A Unilever official confirmed Friday that the dumpster diving took place outside its U.S. hair-care headquarters at 325 N. Wells in downtown Chicago.
Abonați-vă la:
Postări (Atom)