Koskie Minsky LLP Brings Class Action against Hershey Chocolate Company for using Child Labour and Slavery in Manufacture of Popular Chocolate Bars
TORONTO, Dec. 28, 2018 /CNW/ - Koskie Minsky LLP has commenced a class action against the Hershey Chocolate Company on behalf of consumers who unwittingly purchased chocolate bars that were made using child labour and slavery.
Hershey is the manufacturer of well-known chocolate bars such as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Skor, Oh Henry! and Kisses. The statement of claim alleges that slavery and child labour is used to produce the cocoa in these popular treats.
Hershey sources much of its cocoa from the Ivory Coast. It is well documented that cocoa production in that country uses slave labour, child labour, child slaves and trafficked children. It is alleged that Hershey encourages and benefits from these practices. It is further alleged that Canadian consumers would not buy Hershey products if they were aware of the conditions in which they are produced.
The lawsuit seeks $500 million in damages, plus an additional $50 million in punitive damages.
"Canadian consumers have been duped and deceived into buying these products. Canadians have no knowledge that the products are produced in some of the worst conditions imaginable. There are children literally being sold into slavery to work on these cocoa plantations. Hershey is one of the world's largest cocoa buyers. It is one of the world's most successful chocolate companies. If its success and profits come at the expense of child labourers and child slaves, it has a duty to inform Canadian consumers of this very material fact." said Kirk Baert, the lawyer leading the case at Koskie Minsky LLP.
SOURCE Koskie Minsky LLP
Adam Tanel, Koskie Minsky LLP, 416-595-2072
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