The Narratives – Mohamed Miah

Mohamed Miah | The Narratives

The Colonial Birth of an Empire

Unilever was never built on fairness or sustainability. It was born in empire and exploitation.

In 1885, William Hesketh Lever founded Lever Brothers in the UK, producing Sunlight Soap. Lever marketed it with a moral slogan: “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” To the British middle class, soap was civilisation. But behind that bar of soap lay palm oil ripped from the Belgian Congo, where forced labour under King Leopold II’s brutal system supplied the raw materials.

At the same time, Margarine Unie in the Netherlands was building a margarine empire with oils extracted from colonies. In 1929, Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie merged, forming Unilever—one of the first true multinationals. From the beginning, it embodied the ethos of colonial capitalism:

Control raw materials in the Global South. Monopolise markets in the Global North. Shape culture by selling Western modernity as progress, while eroding local traditions.

The DNA was set. And nearly a century later, the beast has not changed—only its mask has.

The Scandals That Define Them

Every decade, another scandal exposes the same core ethos: exploit, conceal, spin, and move on.

Kodaikanal Mercury Poisoning (India, 2001–2016)

A thermometer factory run by Hindustan Unilever dumped over two tonnes of mercury-laced glass into the forests of Tamil Nadu. Workers and residents suffered lasting damage. Only after 15 years of campaigning did Unilever settle in 2016 with 591 workers. No full accountability, just a cheque and silence.

Price-Fixing Cartels (Europe, 2002–2005)

In 2011, the European Commission fined Unilever €104 million for colluding with Procter & Gamble to fix washing powder prices in eight countries. In France, they were fined again in 2016 for hygiene product collusion. They weren’t competing—they were conspiring.

Palm Oil & Deforestation (Indonesia, 2000s)

In 2008, Greenpeace exposed Unilever’s supplier Sinar Mas for destroying Indonesian rainforests. By 2016, Amnesty International accused another supplier, Wilmar, of using child labour and toxic chemical exposure. Unilever suspended contracts briefly, then quietly resumed business.

Plastic Sachets & Greenwashing (Global, ongoing)

Unilever produces 6.4 billion non-recyclable sachets every year. In 2019, they were named one of the world’s top 10 plastic polluters.

A Reuters 2022 investigation revealed they lobbied against sachet bans in India, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, even as they promised to be “plastic neutral” by 2025. Their excuse? That sachets help “low-income consumers.” The truth? Profits over planet.

Salmonella Cover-up (Palestine, 2016)

Cornflakes from their Telma brand risked contamination. Instead of immediate disclosure, Unilever Israel kept quiet. Only after media pressure did they admit it. Lawsuits followed. The Health Ministry considered suspending their license.

Violence Against Workers (South Africa, 2019)

When workers picketed peacefully in Durban, Unilever’s hired security fired rubber bullets, paintballs, and pepper spray. Four workers were hospitalised. For a company that preaches “human rights,” the hypocrisy was brutal.

Racist Advertising & Skin-Lightening (Global, 2017)

Unilever’s Dove ad showed a Black woman turning into a White woman. Outrage was immediate. They apologised, but the truth was deeper: for decades they sold “Fair & Lovely” skin-lightening creams across Asia and Africa. Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign was just a cover for colourism-based profiteering.

Russia & War Profiteering (2022–2024)

When Russia invaded Ukraine, Unilever claimed to “suspend imports and advertising.” Yet in 2022, they still earned €108 million in profit from Russia, paying €38 million in taxes to Putin’s regime. It took until October 2024—after years of pressure—for them to finally sell the business. By then, the blood money was already made.

Sexual Harassment Cover-ups (2025)

An Ethical Consumer investigation exposed how women inside Unilever faced harassment and pressure to “comply” or risk unemployment, despite the company’s “zero tolerance” pledge. As always, promises in the West, silence in the South.

The Politics of Power

Unilever is not just a company—it is a political player.

USA: In 2024, they spent $610,000 on lobbying. Nearly 43% of their lobbyists were former government officials, exploiting the revolving door of politics (Opensecrets.org). UK/EU: In 2022, they spent €10.2 million across 612 trade associations, listed in the EU Transparency Register. Issues: packaging, water policy, climate regulation. India/Asia: Reuters revealed Unilever fought hard to block sachet bans, hiding behind “helping the poor” while drowning rivers in plastic. Russia: They only quit in 2024, long after critics branded them “war sponsors.”

Lobbying, not morality, drives their strategy.

The PR Spin Machine

Every scandal is followed by a slick rebrand.

After plastic exposés: “We are pioneers of sustainable living.” After racist Dove ads: “We are committed to real beauty for all women.” After salmonella: “Consumer trust is our top priority.” After Russia profits: “We stand for peace and human rights.”

The hypocrisy is breathtaking. They sell poison with one hand and market morality with the other.

The Unchanging Ethos

Strip away the slogans and you see it:

Born in colonial exploitation. Sustained by monopoly and price-fixing. Protected by lobbying and political cover. Masked by PR spin.

From soap in the Congo to plastic sachets in India, from price cartels in Europe to lobbying in Washington—the core never changed.

A Global Parasite

Unilever is not a business. It is a parasite.

It feeds on the Global South, sells illusions in the North, and bribes the corridors of power everywhere in between.

And from a moral, ethical, and even Islamic perspective—working for such a company is not just questionable. It is complicit. To knowingly serve an empire that thrives on exploitation and deceit is to share its guilt.

Unilever is not an innovator. It is a colonial empire wearing a green mask. And until we tear off that mask, it will keep poisoning the world—one bar of soap, one plastic sachet, one false campaign at a time.