A recent Toronto Star article focused on the plight of gold miners at La Rinconada in Peru, which, at 5,200 metres above sea level, is the highest mine in the world.
Corporation Minera Ananea, the owners, allow groups of young men to work for two weeks for no pay, and, if productive, are allowed to work for a day or two for themselves.
Like all mining, it's dangerous work with a constant fear of rock falls, inhalation of toxic gases ,and the need to extract the gold by hand using mercury, itself a highly toxic chemical. A group of miners excavated 65 grams that brought each of them $238.50 It might be several weeks before they are so lucky again and several months before the UN environmental program decides on a legally binding global mercury treaty.
Nobody forces these men to work for so little, for so long, and in such dangerous circumstances. So what does? It's something called economic necessity, bearing in mind they have families to support.
Let's speed the day when such conditions of work will not be necessary.
John Ayers.
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