A report by the global labor federation the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) finds that the large corporations Amazon, Tesla, Meta, ExxonMobil, Blackstone, Vanguard, and Glencore are undermining democracy across the world by financially backing far-right political movements, funding and exacerbating the climate crisis, and violating trade union rights and human rights. The ITUC represents 191milllion workers in 169 nations.

The report says that Amazon, for example, “has become notorious for its union busting and low wages on multiple continents, monopoly in e-commerce, egregious carbon emissions through its AWS data centers, corporate tax evasion, and lobbying at national and international level.” The report provides detailed information on Amazon, Tesla, Meta, ExxonMobil, Blackstone, Vanguard, and Glencore.

Todd Brogan, director of campaigns and organizing at the ITUC, says,

This is about power, who has it, and who sets the agenda. We know as trade unionists that unless we’re organized, the boss sets the agenda in the workplace, and we know as citizens in our countries that unless we’re organized and demanding responsive governments that actually meet the needs of people, it’s corporate power that’s going to set the agenda.

Now is the time for international and multi-sectoral strategies,” he adds, because “these are, in many cases, multinational corporations that are more powerful than states, and they have no democratic accountability whatsoever, except for workers organized.

The Guardian: Amazon, Tesla and Meta among world’s top companies undermining democracy – report

ITUC page on “Corporate Underminers of Democracy