VOA标准英语2010年-Rights Group Says European Multination

European companies have been accused by Human Rights Watch of violating workers' rights in the United States.  In a new report, it says European multinational¹ firms have carried out aggressive campaigns to keep workers in the U.S. from organizing and bargaining for themselves.

Human Rights Watch says a number of European companies heed² tough labor³ laws in Europe, but when they move into the United States, workers' rights are dropped low on the agenda.  The report looks at companies from across Europe, including German T-Mobile and British supermarket chain Tesco.

Not all the companies are accused of the same shortcomings, but the charges vary from muzzling⁴ unions to hiring replacements⁵ to fill the places of workers on strike.

Tom Porteous - the head of the London office of Human Rights Watch - said, "These are all activities, which fall way below international standards to which these companies have signed up.  We have found in the course of our research that all these companies at one time or another have been engaged in activities, which would be totally unacceptable and anathema⁶ if they engaged in them in Europe."

Tesco was not available for an interview with Voice of America, but in a written statement it said the allegations are "completely untrue."  It said all of its staff are free to join trade unions; similar responses have been made by other companies named in the report.

Porteous said the United States has poor labor laws plagued by long delays and weak penalties.  He said during the course of several centuries the situation that has developed in Europe is quite different. 

"Workers have actually managed to win quite an array of rights to organize, to strike, and so on," said Porteous.  "But when it comes to the U.S., those rights are much weaker."

The report said the United States needs to make its labor laws more effective.  It also called for international bodies to do more for oversight⁷ when European companies head overseas.
 

1 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

2 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 muzzling   

给（狗等）戴口套( muzzle的现在分词 )； 使缄默，钳制…言论

参考例句：

• They accused the government of muzzling the press. 他们指责政府压制新闻自由。

5 replacements   

n.代替( replacement的名词复数 )；替换的人[物]；替代品；归还

参考例句：

• They infiltrated behind the lines so as to annoy the emery replacements. 他们渗透敌后以便骚扰敌军的调度。 来自辞典例句
• For oil replacements, cheap suddenly looks less of a problem. 对于石油的替代品来说，价格变得无足轻重了。 来自互联网

6 anathema   

n.诅咒；被诅咒的人(物)，十分讨厌的人(物)

参考例句：

• Independence for the Kurds is anathema to Turkey and Iran.库尔德人的独立对土耳其和伊朗来说将是一场梦魇。
• Her views are ( an ) anathema to me.她的观点真叫我讨厌。

7 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。