Philip Morris , Imperial Brands may be using leaves picked by exploited African workers to supply their factories in Italy ’s $166m ( $166m ) tobacco industry. At the end of the working day, said Sekou, 27, from Guinea, who has worked in the tobacco fields since 2016: The companies bought 80% of the Italy 's harvest in 2017 , according to the European Leaf Tobacco Interbranch , but employees, including children, could have been forced to work 4am a day without contracts or health and safety measures. The companies said their suppliers followed strict regulations on worker treatment. Philip Morris said it had not found any abuse, while Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands said they would investigate complaints.
Philip Morris , Imperial Brands may be using leaves picked by exploited African workers to supply their factories in Italy ’s $166m ( $166m ) tobacco industry. The companies bought 80% of the Italy 's harvest in 2017 , according to the European Leaf Tobacco Interbranch , but employees, including children, could have been forced to work 4am a day without contracts or health and safety measures. The companies said their suppliers followed strict regulations on worker treatment. Philip Morris said it had not found any abuse, while Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands said they would investigate complaints.