frogblog

Two managers of the Wallace Corporation in the Waikato have been found guility in the Environment Court of ordering the burial of equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyl in the foundations of a new building. Polychlorinated biphenyl is a very longlasting carcinogen and by law must be disposed of carefully. By burying them in the building’s foundations there is a real risk of contaminating the local waterway.

The managers are reported to have told the storeman to  bury the old PCB containing capacitors in the foundations of the new building after they decided the cost of proper disposal was too expensive. The storeman, Andrew Eillis refused, and the managers got another worker to do the job. Ellis contacted his union with his concerns and hence the resulting court case. Based on the information in the media, I reckon someone should nominate this guy and his union for some kind of environmental award.

It’s an interesting angle to the regular debate on this blog about the relationship between the left and green movements. Greens work with both management and unions to achieve better sustainability. We work with management to help them move in a sustainable direction, and when they don’t want to move in a sustainable direction we apply political and consumer pressure. But we also work with unions, many of which have a strong interest in ensuring sustainability.  Of course not all unions or union officials are interested in sustainability but more and more they are. They also appreciate the support of the green movement for union specific issues such as decent wages and conditions. 

Unions have networks inside businesses, like Wallace Corp, that are not doing the right thing. These networks can whistleblow in the interests of the larger society about environmental damage. And it is a lot easier to be an environmental whistleblower if you have the support of your union, so you are less worried about being victimised and sacked by management.

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