Wages in the palm oil sector are low. In Guatemala 98 % of agricultural workers (in the field) do not earn a living wage. In the graphs below you can switch countries by clicking the button at the top.
The Fair Work Monitor on palm oil
Basic monthly salary without overtime and bonuses
The Fair Work Monitor survey showed that workers are often forced to work beyond legal hours. Many workers report low efforts from companies to improve social dialogue.
Have you been forced to work beyond the legal maximum hours for fear of dismissal?
Company effort on social dialogue
Workers report the existence of policies against child labour, and no workers have reported children working in companies. However, the survey showed many disabling or fatal accidents. Workers who report this have witnessed these accidents, not necessarily experienced them themselves.
Policy prohibiting child labour
Disabling or fatal accidents
Joining forces
To increase our impact, CNV Internationaal joins forces with several partners. We are a member of the RSPO (Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil).
Our survey in Latin America was conducted in collaboration with Oxfam. For more information on this project, visit the Palm Rights Observatory.
In Indonesia our social dialogue project in palm oil is carried out in collaboration with the RVO (Dutch Company Agency) and NVB (Dutch Banking Association). We participate in landscape projects with Proforest (Sumatra) and Kaleka (Central Kalimantan).
Palm oil facts and figures
- 50% of the worldwide consumer goods contain palm oil.
- Indonesia and Malaysia produce 85% of the palm oil.
- Colombia is the biggest producer of palm oil outside Asia.
- Most workers on palm oil plantations do not earn a living wage.
- Many women working on plantations have no permanent contract.
- Less than 5% of the palm oil plantation workers in Indonesia are organized.
