Ending The Use Of Children In Labor Practices
Yeoryung (Grace) Lee
Deputy Chair #1
1
Introduction
•
Theterm“childlabour”isoftendefinedasworkthatdepriveschildrenoftheir
childhood,theirpotentialandtheirdignity,andthatisharmfultophysicaland
mentaldevelopment.
•
Itreferstoworkthat:
•
-ismentally,physically,sociallyormorallydangerousandharmfultochildren
•
-interfereswiththeirschoolingbydeprivingchildrenthemoftheopportunityto
attendschool,obligingthemtoleaveschoolprematurely,orrequiringthemto
attempttocombineschoolattendancewithexcessivelylongandheavywork.
•
Childlaborinvolvesatleastoneofthefollowingcharacteristics:
•
-Violatesanation’sminimumagelaws
•
-Threatenschildren’sphysical,mental,oremotionalwell-being
•
-Involvesintolerableabuse,suchaschildslavery,childtrafficking,debtbondage,
forcedlabor,orillicitactivities
•
-Preventschildrenfromgoingtoschool
•
-Useschildrentounderminelaborstandards
Definition
of
Key
Terms
– Child
– DefinedintheOxfordDictionaryas‘ayounghumanbeingbelowtheageof
pubertyorbelowthelegalageofmajority’.
– Labor
– DefinedintheMerriam-WebsterDictionaryas‘theexpenditureofphysicalor
mentaleffortespeciallywhendifficultorcompulsory’.
Workplace
• DefinedintheOxfordDictionaryas‘aplacewherepeoplework,suchasan
officeorfactory.’
Trafficking
• DefinedintheOxfordDictionaryas‘dealortradeinsomethingillegal’,human
traffickingisdefinedas‘theillegalmovementofpeople,typicallyforthe
purposesofforcedlabororcommercialsexualexploitation’.
Sector
DefinedintheOxfordDictionaryas‘anareaorportionthatisdistinctfromothers’.Child
laborincludesmanysectorssuchasagriculture,industry,andservicesectors
Summary - Causes
Someofthebiggestcasesforchildlaborarethefollowing:
•
Highpovertyandunemploymentlevels
– Familiesinhighpovertymayrelyuponchildlabortoimprovetheirchancesof
attainingbasicnecessities.Morethanone-fourthoftheworld'speoplelivein
extremepoverty,accordingto2005U.N.statistics.Theintensifiedpovertyin
partsofAfrica,Asia,andLatinAmericahascausedmanychildrentobecome
childlaborers.
•
Limitedaccesstocompulsory,freeeducation
– In2006,approximately75millionchildrenwerenotinschool,greatlylimiting
theirfutureopportunities.A2009reportbytheUnitedNationsestimatedthat
achievinguniversaleducationfortheworld'schildrenwouldcost$10-30billion.
•
Lawsandenforcementareofteninadequateorviolated
– Evenincountrieswherestrongchildlaborlawsexist,labordepartmentsand
laborinspectionofficesareoftenunder-fundedandunder-staffed,orcourts
mayfailtoenforcethelaws.
4
Summary - Sectors
– Theagriculturesectorcomprisesactivitiesinagriculture,hunting
forestry,andfishing(globally,over98millionchildrenaged5to17years
oldworkintheagriculturalsector).
– Theindustrysectorincludesminingandquarrying,manufacturing,
construction,andpublicutilities(electricity,gasandwater).
– Theservicessectorconsistsofwholesaleandretailtrade;restaurants
andhotels;transport,storage,andcommunications;finance,insurance,
real-estate,andbusinessservices;andcommunityaswellassocial
personalservices.
Major Parties involved
– UnitedNations(UN)-Hasdevelopedinternationalconventions,or
internationalagreements,betweencountriesonchildlabor.TheConvention
ontheRightsoftheChildwasthefirstlegallybindinginternationalconvention
thatcoveredthecompleterangeofhumanrightsforchildren.
– TheInternationalLaborOrganization(ILO)-Workedtoabolishchildlaborby
devisingstandardsandprotocolsbasedontheageofthechildandsafetyof
theworkplace.TheILOhasconductedresearch,hostedmeetings,andcreated
standardsthatareappropriateforworkingchildrenacrosstheglobe.Ithas
alsolaunchedtheWorldDayAgainstChildLabourin2002,tofocusattention
ontheglobalextentofchildlabour.
– InternationalProgramontheEliminationofChildLabour(IPEC)-Createdin
1992,IPEChasgrowntobecomethebiggestdedicatedchildlabourprogramin
theworldandthelargesttechnicalcooperationprogramwithintheILO.Itis
nowoperationalinsome90countries,benefitingmillionsofchildren
worldwide.
6
Timeline
• 1750-1850:TheIndustrialRevolution(UnitedStatesofAmerica)-childrenasyoungasthe
ageofsevenstartedtoworkinunsafeandunsanitaryfactoryconditions.
• 1830-1840s:Shiftinpublicattitudetowardschildlabor.Lawsenforcedbyseveralstatesin
theUS,butnoteffectiveenoughtopreventchildlabor.
• 1836,1842:Massachusettspassedastatelawstatingthatchildrenundertheageof
fifteenyearsoldcannotwork,andmustgotoschoolatleastthreemonthsayear.Children
workhourswerelimitedto10hoursaday.
• 1883:TheNewYorkLaborUnionsuccessfullyprohibitscigarmakingintenements(where
thousandsofyoungchildrenworked).MovementsledbySamuelGompers.
• 1904:TheNationalChildLaborCommitteeforms.
• 1908:LewisWickesHine,hiredbyNCLC,tookphotographsofthenegativesidesofchild
labors.Releasingthesehiddensightstothepublic,theNCLCgainedoverwhelming
supportalloverthenation.
Timeline
• 1916:CongresspassedtheKeating-OwenAct,inanattempttodiscouragingchildlabor.
• 1924:CongressproposestheChildLaborAmendment,thatstatedthatpeopleunderthe
ageof18maynotwork.
• 1941:Enactedstateandfederallaws,forbiddingemploymentunder18andstudents
duringschoolhours.
• Current:Teenagersasyoungas16yearsoldcanlegallygetajob.However,working
conditionshavegreatlyimprovedovertimeandwithnewlaws,teenagerscanworkand
stillmaintaintheireducation.
UN Involvement
• Resolutionfor“Exploitationofchildlabour”:
• A/51/492-PROMOTIONANDPROTECTIONOFTHERIGHTSOFCHILDREN(United
Nations:GeneralAssembly)
• A/51/77-THERIGHTSOFTHECHILD
• (UnitedNations:GeneralAssembly)
• ConventionNo.138ontheMinimumAgeforAdmissiontoEmployment,1973
• ConventionNo.182ontheWorstFormsofChildLabour,1999
• ‘TheILO’sadoptionofConventionNo.182in1999consolidatedtheglobal
consensusonchildlabourelimination.Itprovidedmuch-neededfocuswithout
abandoningtheoverarchinggoal,expressedinConventionNo.138,oftheeffective
abolitionofchildlabour.Moreover,theconceptoftheworstformshelpsset
prioritiesandcanbeusedasanentrypointintacklingthemainstreamchildlabour
problem.Theconceptalsohelpstodirectattentiontotheimpactofworkon
children,aswellastheworktheyperform.’
Possible Solutions
•
OrganizeUnionsandSupportExistingOrganization-Supportinginternationalchildlabor
organizationshasbeenproventobehelpfulinworkingtowardseliminatingchildlabor.
OrganizationssuchastheILOhasmadesignificantchangesindevelopinginternationalconventions
andtreaties.
•
CampaignsforInstitutionstoAdoptCodesofConduct-Whenthe2000Olympicswereheldin
Sydney,Australia,AustralianlaborfederationscreatedandsignedanagreementwiththeOlympic
organizingcommitteerequiringallsponsorsandlicenseestoadheretominimumlaborstandards,
includinginternationalconventionsonchildlabor.Pressurefromhumanrightsgroups,consumers,
andinternationaltradeunionsledthegroupoverseeingtheWorldCup(FédérationInternationale
deFootballAssociation)toadoptaCodein1998statingitwouldceaseusingsoccerballsmade
withchildlabor.
•
ProvisionofFreeandCompulsoryEducation-Eradicatingoneofthemaincausesforchildlabor
(poverty),canbeanimmensehelptostoppingchildlabor,sincechildrenwillberequiredtogoto
schoolinsteadofworking.
• AnexampleofpromotingaccesstoeducationistheBangladeshBuildingandWoodworkers’
FederationandtheMetalWorkers’Unionthatseekstoremovechildrenfromhazardous
workplacesandenrollchildrenineducationandassistanceprograms.Onalargerscale,the
GlobalCampaignforEducationisacoalitioninvolvingteachers’unions,GlobalMarchAgainst
ChildLabor,Oxfam,andActionAid.
•
EnforceStricterLabourLaws-Mostcountrieshavelawsagainstchildlabour;however,some
governmentssupportchildlabour(regardlessofexistinglaws)asawayofgainingacompetitive
marketadvantage.Stricterstandardsforimportantfactorssuchastheworkingagelimitanda
child’scompulsoryeducation,areviewedcrucialinendingtheuseofchildreninlaborpractices.
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