Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
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Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

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    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
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-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Telegraph, 10 March, 2016, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160310/jsp/nation/story_73771.jsp#.VuDewOY1t_k&#039;,
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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Telegraph, 10 March, 2016, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160310/jsp/nation/story_73771.jsp#.VuDewOY1t_k&#039;,
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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following...&#039;
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Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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                <strong>Lever in toxic mercury payout deal -GC Shekhar and others</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-The Telegraph<br /><br /><em>Chennai: </em>Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town's garbage dump.<br /><br />As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.<br /><br />HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers' association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.<br /><br />&quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&quot; said the employees' association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.<br /><br />The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.<br /><br />Since HUL's parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.<br /><br />&quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.<br /><br />According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.<br /><br />The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond's in 1987.<br /><br />Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams of the UK merged in 1955.<br /><br />Talc and cream-maker Pond's had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &quot;glass manufacturing unit&quot;.<br /><br />Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.<br /><br />Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&quot;.<br /><br />Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&quot;<br /><br />The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond's HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&quot;<br /><br />The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.<br /><br />The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.</div>               </font>
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-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Lever in toxic mercury payout deal -GC Shekhar and others&#039;,
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-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Telegraph, 10 March, 2016, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160310/jsp/nation/story_73771.jsp#.VuDewOY1t_k&#039;,
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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The company statement quoted S.A. 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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following..."/>
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                <strong>Lever in toxic mercury payout deal -GC Shekhar and others</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-The Telegraph<br /><br /><em>Chennai: </em>Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town's garbage dump.<br /><br />As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.<br /><br />HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers' association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.<br /><br />&quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&quot; said the employees' association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.<br /><br />The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.<br /><br />Since HUL's parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.<br /><br />&quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.<br /><br />According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.<br /><br />The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond's in 1987.<br /><br />Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams of the UK merged in 1955.<br /><br />Talc and cream-maker Pond's had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &quot;glass manufacturing unit&quot;.<br /><br />Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.<br /><br />Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&quot;.<br /><br />Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&quot;<br /><br />The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond's HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&quot;<br /><br />The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.<br /><br />The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.</div>               </font>
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    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67fd13bbd0ff7-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
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-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Telegraph, 10 March, 2016, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160310/jsp/nation/story_73771.jsp#.VuDewOY1t_k&#039;,
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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Telegraph, 10 March, 2016, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160310/jsp/nation/story_73771.jsp#.VuDewOY1t_k&#039;,
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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Telegraph&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Chennai: &lt;/em&gt;Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town&#039;s garbage dump.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers&#039; association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&amp;quot; said the employees&#039; association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Since HUL&#039;s parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&amp;quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond&#039;s in 1987.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond&#039;s Creams of the UK merged in 1955.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Talc and cream-maker Pond&#039;s had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &amp;quot;glass manufacturing unit&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &amp;quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&amp;quot;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &amp;quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond&#039;s HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &amp;quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following..."/>
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                <strong>Lever in toxic mercury payout deal -GC Shekhar and others</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-The Telegraph<br /><br /><em>Chennai: </em>Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town's garbage dump.<br /><br />As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.<br /><br />HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers' association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.<br /><br />&quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&quot; said the employees' association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.<br /><br />The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.<br /><br />Since HUL's parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.<br /><br />&quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.<br /><br />According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.<br /><br />The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond's in 1987.<br /><br />Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams of the UK merged in 1955.<br /><br />Talc and cream-maker Pond's had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &quot;glass manufacturing unit&quot;.<br /><br />Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.<br /><br />Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&quot;.<br /><br />Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&quot;<br /><br />The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond's HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&quot;<br /><br />The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.<br /><br />The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.</div>               </font>
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-The Telegraph<br />
<br />
<em>Chennai: </em>Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.<br />
<br />
The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town's garbage dump.<br />
<br />
As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.<br />
<br />
HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers' association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.<br />
<br />
&quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&quot; said the employees' association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.<br />
<br />
The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.<br />
<br />
Since HUL's parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.<br />
<br />
&quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.<br />
<br />
According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.<br />
<br />
The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond's in 1987.<br />
<br />
Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams of the UK merged in 1955.<br />
<br />
Talc and cream-maker Pond's had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.<br />
<br />
The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &quot;glass manufacturing unit&quot;.<br />
<br />
Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.<br />
<br />
Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&quot;.<br />
<br />
Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&quot;<br />
<br />
The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond's HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&quot;<br />
<br />
The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.<br />
<br />
The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.
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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following...',
	'disp' => '<div align="justify">-The Telegraph<br /><br /><em>Chennai: </em>Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town's garbage dump.<br /><br />As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.<br /><br />HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers' association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.<br /><br />&quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&quot; said the employees' association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.<br /><br />The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.<br /><br />Since HUL's parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.<br /><br />&quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.<br /><br />According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.<br /><br />The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond's in 1987.<br /><br />Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams of the UK merged in 1955.<br /><br />Talc and cream-maker Pond's had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &quot;glass manufacturing unit&quot;.<br /><br />Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.<br /><br />Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&quot;.<br /><br />Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&quot;<br /><br />The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond's HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&quot;<br /><br />The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.<br /><br />The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.</div>',
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-The Telegraph<br />
<br />
<em>Chennai: </em>Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.<br />
<br />
The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town's garbage dump.<br />
<br />
As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.<br />
<br />
HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers' association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.<br />
<br />
&quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&quot; said the employees' association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.<br />
<br />
The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.<br />
<br />
Since HUL's parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.<br />
<br />
&quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.<br />
<br />
According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.<br />
<br />
The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond's in 1987.<br />
<br />
Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams of the UK merged in 1955.<br />
<br />
Talc and cream-maker Pond's had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.<br />
<br />
The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &quot;glass manufacturing unit&quot;.<br />
<br />
Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.<br />
<br />
Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&quot;.<br />
<br />
Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&quot;<br />
<br />
The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond's HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&quot;<br />
<br />
The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.<br />
<br />
The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.
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$metaTitle = 'LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Lever in toxic mercury payout deal -GC Shekhar and others'
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-The Telegraph

Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following...'
$disp = '<div align="justify">-The Telegraph<br /><br /><em>Chennai: </em>Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town's garbage dump.<br /><br />As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company.<br /><br />HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers' association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement.<br /><br />&quot;A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them,&quot; said the employees' association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court.<br /><br />The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing.<br /><br />Since HUL's parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said.<br /><br />&quot;The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards,&quot; said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.<br /><br />According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said.<br /><br />The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond's in 1987.<br /><br />Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams of the UK merged in 1955.<br /><br />Talc and cream-maker Pond's had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US.<br /><br />The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a &quot;glass manufacturing unit&quot;.<br /><br />Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer.<br /><br />Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve &quot;ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes&quot;.<br /><br />Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: &quot;We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this.&quot;<br /><br />The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond's HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: &quot;We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard.&quot;<br /><br />The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added.<br /><br />The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.</div>'
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Lever in toxic mercury payout deal -GC Shekhar and others

-The Telegraph Chennai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has agreed to compensate nearly 600 former employees who were exposed to toxic mercury in a thermometer factory that had been relocated from New York to Tamil Nadu by another investor in 1984 following environmental concerns in the US. The thermometer factory is located at Kodaikanal, around 430km from here. The plant was shut down in 2011 after Greenpeace activists found mercury waste in the hill town's garbage dump. As many as 591 workers had alleged that they were exposed to toxic vapour in the production stage, causing severe ailments. The workers had launched class action litigation against exposure to hazardous chemicals, saying no warning had been issued by the company. HUL came to an understanding with the ex-workers' association on March 4. Today, the settlement was recorded before the first bench of Madras High Court, which appointed lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy as the nodal commissioner to implement the settlement. "A substantial amount will be paid to each of the 591 workers of the company as ex-gratia payment, along with other compensations entitled to them," said the employees' association lawyer, R. Vaigai. She, however, declined to give details of the settlement, saying the matter was still in the court. The high court has directed the company to disburse the settlement amount before March 28, the next date of hearing. Since HUL's parent Unilever is headquartered in the UK, a similar suit had been moved there, too. But that suit will be withdrawn in view of the settlement, Vaigai said. "The fight is not over yet. There will be a global campaign to ensure Unilever cleans up the mercury-contaminated site in Kodaikanal up to international standards," said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman. According to activists, up to 25 milligrams of mercury per kilogram of soil will be left behind after the clean-up. This is 250 times higher than naturally occurring background levels and will harm the environment, especially because the factory site is located on a ridge surrounded by the densely forested Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, the activists said. The thermometer factory came into the HUL fold in 1987 when its Anglo-Dutch parent Unilever acquired Chesebrough-Pond's in 1987. Founded in 1859, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company produced Vaseline. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams of the UK merged in 1955. Talc and cream-maker Pond's had relocated the mercury thermometer factory from Watertown, New York, to Kodaikanal in 1984 amid rising environmental concerns in the US. The factory produced 163 million thermometers using about 900kg of mercury annually. The thermometers were exported to the US and Europe. Environment activists claimed that the factory was registered as a "glass manufacturing unit". Factory workers had started complaining about health problems arising from suspected mercury poisoning in 2000. The company was directed to shut down the factory in 2001 after Greenpeace exposed an alleged attempt to sell glass contaminated with mercury to a scrap dealer. Today, HUL said in a statement that the agreement would involve "ex-gratia payments to 591 former workers/association members and their families towards livelihood enhancement projects and skill enhancement programmes". Dev Bajpai, HUL executive director, legal and corporate affairs, said: "We have worked hard over many years to address this and find the right solution for our former workers. We, alongside all involved, are glad to see an outcome to this long-standing case. The well being of our employees and the communities in which we operate has and will always remain paramount. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to this." The company statement quoted S.A. Mahindra Babu, the president of the Pond's HLL ex-Mercury Employees Welfare Association, as saying: "We welcome the actions taken by HUL to bring these negotiations to a satisfactory closure.... We now consider this issue to be fully resolved and have no more grievance against the company in this regard." The petition had been filed more than four years after HUL had made a full and final settlement in November 2001. The severance package was significantly higher than the statutory requirement, the statement added. The workers had been offered alternative jobs in another unit of the company. However, they opted out of service, HUL said.