There are almost 168 million children around the globe who are involved in child labour and 85 million of them are doing hazardous work.
Child labour is found in agriculture (99 million), mining, manufacturing, tourism, producing goods and services consumed by millions every day.
Child labour occurs predominantly in the rural and informal economies beyond the reach of labour inspection, the protection of workers’ organisations or the governance benefits of employers’ and producers’ organisations, said International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director General Guy Ryder on the occasion of World Day against Child Labour.
“Acting together, it is within our means to make the future of work, a future without child labour,” he said in his message.
It said child labour has no place in well-functioning and well-regulated markets but the reality is that child labour remains widespread in supply chains today.
It is not just the lack of institutional protection in the rural and informal economies that increase the risk of child labour in supply chains, household production and family farms, children are often highly vulnerable because parents’ incomes are insufficient or because small family enterprises and farms cannot afford to replace child labour by hiring adults and youth.
The piece rate production increases the risk with children helping parents to make up quotas and to assure family’s survival when parents are not earning a living wage.
The global supply chains can offer opportunities for inclusive development for supplier firms, workers and host countries but targeted action is needed to assure just outcomes.
Beyond child labour in high profile and global supply chains, many child labourers are also found in supply chains production for local and national consumption and they must not be ignored.
There are encouraging signs of a will to act and to prevent child labour to achieve greater transparency and visibility along supply chains as well as more effective enforcement of relevant laws.
The ILO’s Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No 138) has been ratified by 168 member-states and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No 182) by nearly 180 universal ratification.
The governments are realising that the fight against child labour requires coherent policy packages to back child labour legislation, quality education, social protection and decent jobs for parents.
The companies are increasingly exploring how they might contribute to eliminate child labour by strengthening the capacity of enterprises throughout their supply chains – a complex task requiring partnerships involving governments, industry peers and employers’ and workers’ organisations.
Forums such as the ILO’s child labour platform allow enterprises to share good practices and develop new models for collaboration.
The Global Framework Agreements between global trade union federations and multinational companies are one expression of global cooperation through social dialogue. At the grassroots of value chains too, rural workers’ and informal workers’ organisations are expanding innovative approaches to strengthen collective representation.
The ILO’s tripartite declaration of principles concerning multinational enterprises and social policy of 1977 recognises the role of enterprises in the elimination of child labour. With its focus on development and strengthening of enterprise capacity and social dialogue, this declaration holds great potential to guide action against child labour.
The Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 reaffirms the goal of ending child labour. Acting together, it is within our means to make the future of work, a future without child labour.