MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

French branch of fast-food chain on notice over Brazilian supplies

Brazilian firms supplying coffee and other inputs were said to be involved in deforestation and even slave labor

French labor unions CGT, the UGT, and CUT Wednesday put McDonald's France “on notice” that it needs to submit a vigilance plan attesting to its compliance with local laws, while the company's Brazilian suppliers have been placed under scrutiny for their alleged poor social and environmental practices.

The labor groupings gave McDonald’s France three months to publish a vigilance plan as is legally required by large companies operating in France and abroad, saying the company is guilty of “attacks on human rights, fundamental freedoms, the health and safety of people and the environment.” These remarks applied to both the French subsidiary of the global brand and also to certain Brazilian subcontractors supplying coffee, orange juice, and soy intended for animal feed.

Regarding its operations in France, McDonald’s was accused of failing to follow up on numerous cases of sexual harassment within its restaurants. “The CGT, UGT, and CUT have written to the head of McDonald's French subsidiary and to its American managing director asking that a vigilance plan be published within three months,” the unions said.

The accusations were first made in a recent report by the local NGO Repórter Brasil, created to denounce recurrent violations of fundamental rights of people and workers in the country.

”Do you eat at McDonald's? An unprecedented report shows that the network has suppliers with a history of deforestation, precarious work, and even the use of slave labor,” the NGO wrote in a tweet Wednesday.

Since March 2017, France has forced its largest companies to publish plans to prevent risks related to their activities and serious violations of rights.