James Finlay Kenya has sacked with immediate effect, two contractors exposed in a BBC documentary; Sex for Work: The True Cost of Our Tea, which lifted the lid on extreme sexual exploitation of female workers at the tea firm.
John Chebochok and John Asava have further been barred from from entering James Finlay Kenya premises in Kericho and allegations against them as televised by BBC reported to the police.
In addition, James Finlay has offered direct employment to all employees who were working under the two alleged serial sex predators.
BBC on Monday evening, aired a viral documentary that revealed the rot in James Finlay tea farms.
The two reportedly assaulted helpless and desperate women sexually for work favors, lighter duties and promotions at the tea farms. This, BBC says, has been happening for decades.
A BBC team in the hotel then called her on her mobile so she could escape.
The joint investigation by BBC Panorama and BBC Africa Eye found that more than 70 women who work on the plantations had suffered some form of sexual harassment at work.
The victims worked on plantations owned by consumer giant Unilever and James Finlay.
One woman claimed she had been infected with HIV by her boss, who demanded sex. Another victim said a manager cancelled her work until she agreed to have sex with him.
She said: ‘It is just torture; he wants to sleep with you, then you get a job’.
Another woman was forced to comply and said afterwards: ‘I can’t lose my job because I have kids’.
The victim, called Katy, was wearing a secret camera and was pinned against a window by the recruiter as she kept saying: ‘I haven’t consented’.
He said: ‘Touch me. Just touch me a bit. Just consent. I’ll give you some money, then I’ll give you a job. I have helped you, help me. We’ll lie down, finish and go. Then you come and work.’
The company also told the broadcaster that it is investigating whether its Kenyan operation has ‘an endemic issue with sexual violence’.
James Finlay & Co is the second largest tea company operating in Kenya’s Rift Valley, and supplies tea to Sainsbury’s and Tesco supermarkets.
Responding to the findings, Sainsbury’s told the BBC the ‘horrific allegations have no place in our supply chain’ while Tesco said that it is in ‘constant dialogue’ with the company to ensure ‘robust measures’ are taken.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: ‘These upsetting and horrific allegations have no place in our supply chain and we’re committed to ensuring all workers receive fair treatment and have a safe place to work. We are working with our supplier and other retailers and will take robust action to safeguard workers in our tea supply chain.’
Separate video shows two managers sexually harassing an undercover investigator at a tea farm which was, at the time of filming, owned by British Dutch company Unilever.
Unilever told the BBC it is ‘deeply shocked and saddened’ by the allegations. It added that any employees who breached its Code of Conduct have been dismissed, and any criminality reported to the police.
It was gathered that women who produce tea for major brands have been pressured to have sex with their bosses in exchange for work.
According to the BBC, more than 70 women out of 100 spoken to who work on the plantations reported experiencing sexual harassment at work.
They allege managers demand sex in return for jobs, lighter work duties or the renewal of casual employment contracts. There are allegations that some fell pregnant, while others were infected with HIV. One supervisor is even accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who was living on site at one of the plantations.
During what was supposed to be a job interview for work on a tea farm, a recruitment manager for Scottish firm James Finlay & Company cornered an undercover investigator and demanded sex, according to secret footage obtained as part of the investigation.
John Chebochok, the recruitment manager for Scottish firm James Finlay and Company, invited the BBC’s undercover investigator “Katy” (not her real name) to a job interview, not on company premises but in a hotel room.
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