Rio Tinto film

The RIO TINTO Campaign site

RIO TINTO:

has violated UN resolutions, caused environmental pollution,

and been found guilty of workplace discrimination.

Risk dealing with the world's largest mining company

alone and you might as well walk . . .

NAKED INTO THE JUNGLE

A half-hour documentary film on Rio Tinto,

workers and communities

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This documentary has been produced as part of a campaign involving trade unions, human rights agencies and environmental groups which is being coordinated by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, Australia.

VHS video copies of “Naked Into The Jungle” plus a background information kit are available for AUD$25 from the CFMEU Mining and Energy Division's national office:

PO Box Q1641
Sydney NSW 1230
AUSTRALIA

Tel: (+61)(2) 9267 1035

fax: (+61)(2) 9267 3198

email: admin@cfmeu.com.au

(If you are requesting a copy for use outside Australia please specify which VHS format is required - PAL, NTSC or SECAM.)

CFMEU documentary film on Rio Tinto signals escalation of international campaign

The documentary `Naked into the Jungle - Rio Tinto, Workers and Communities' was launched at the NSW State Library by ACTU President, Jennie George, on Sunday 15 March 1998.

The documentary draws together - for the first time - the experiences of trade unions, indigenous people, human rights groups and environment organisations campaigning against the world's largest private mining company. The film exposes Rio Tinto's approach to its Australian workers as not just a “one-off”, but as part of the company's systematic failure to meet accepted standards on worker and human rights, as well as environmental protection.

The film reveals the history of Rio Tinto's overseas operations - from violating UN resolutions, through environmental pollution; to being implicated in human rights abuses. The documentary also exposes the fact that campaigns have been run against Rio Tinto in virtually every country it has operated in.

Launching the documentary, Jennie George applauded the CFMEU for taking a far-sighted approach to its campaign to rein-in Rio Tinto. In particular she praised the unity and networking which the union has established with human rights agencies, environment groups and other trade unions within Australia and overseas. Jennie said that collective action, whether in the workplace or through coalitions of organisations, would prove to be key in helping to turn the tide against Rio Tinto. Indeed, this is the main theme of the documentary - that no individual can risk dealing with Rio Tinto alone, otherwise they'd be walking “naked into the jungle.”

John Maitland, CFMEU National Secretary, told the audience that the documentary would be advertised via the internet to universities, environment groups, aid agencies, parliamentarians, church groups, trade unions and investment companies. John said that the film is an essential tool for anyone in Australia or overseas campaigning on Rio Tinto. The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mining and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) is also publicising the documentary on their internet site (www.icem.org).