Kodaikanal: Powerful Multinational bows down to worker’s demands for justice!

Unilever – take responsibility for Kodaikanal mercury poisoning
Take the pledge: I #WontBuyUnilever until Kodaikanal receives justice
Unilever: Live up to international standards and take corrective action in Kodaikanal!

The Hindustan Unilever’s thermometer plant in Kodaikanal caused mercury poisoning in the region, by operating with complete disregard for its workers, and the larger community.  The multinational had its workers handle mercury, without any protective gear, or divulging information about the disastrous health impacts of the chemical!

And for this, Hindustan Unilever refused to take any responsibility. Ex-workers at the plant had engaged in a long-drawn-out battle for justice for themselves and their families, who either died or faced severe health consequences.

To this end, we launched a colossal campaign, including a music video that went viral internationally, began Twitter action (now X), and a #WontBuyUnilever awareness campaign – to name just a few facets of the campaign.

Several thousands of people pledged not to buy Unilever until they took corrective action.

That’s not all – several concerned activists and shareholders took our campaign directly to Paul Polman (then CEO, Unilever) at their shareholder meeting in London.

All our online and offline work eventually led to a meeting with the Global Senior VP, to whom we delivered our collective 1.5 million+ petition signatures and presented the ex-workers’ demands. The company finally agreed upon adequate compensation for the workers!

This colossal victory in our early years paved the way for more.