LABOR ISSUES

Labor Issues around the World

Labor Issues around the World

Overview

As defined, Child labour is work that is both exploitative and hazardous. This includes any work that jeopardizes a child's physical, mental, educational or social development.

Child labour is a global concern, affecting anyone who is a consumer. Developing and developed countries alike contribute to the existence of child labour, resulting in underage youth being employed in unhealthy environments, working long hours and being paid extremely low wages. This, leads to little to no time for any type of education, triggering literacy problems and any possibilities for advancement in this job or any other, resulting a cyclical poverty pattern for the families involved.

Research and Discuss the Subject of Child Labour

What is the issue of child labour all about?

The main issues of child labour are the working conditions and lack of time for proper education. The working conditions can be anything from long hours, like 12-18 hour workdays, often without overtime pay; to verbal, physical and sometimes sexual abuse; low wages and unhealthy conditions (Child Labour and the Rights of Youth, 2000).

The working conditions lead to hazardous conditions such as those stated at the West African cocoa industry. A survey, found more than 284,000 children are working in hazardous conditions (CTV August 01/02). These children would be exposed to pesticides and insecticides without proper equipment such as rubber boots and masks. It was also reported that these children had open wounds and bleeding shoulders from carrying 60-70 kilo bags of cocoa beans. Their living accommodations had no running water and food was limited.

The national and international media reported low wages, as low as six cents an hour for Pakistani sweatshops making Nike soccer balls. It's true that some of these teenagers-12 and 13-year-olds are working illegally. But others - 15 or 16 year olds are often legal employees, pressured to work excessively long and illegal hours that prevent them from finishing high school (Child Labour and the Rights of Youth, 2000). In Nepal, children carry bricks on their heads from the brickfields to a truck. They earn $0.25 for every 100 trips (UNICEF - The State of the World's Children, 1997).

Should governments regulate basic conditions globally, the necessity of children working to insure their families' survival, wouldn't conjure up so many upsetting images. With certain required regulations in place, like a certain level of quality schooling and education in order to be hired. The education would provide guidance and opportunity to understand their role in society. These schools must make it worthwhile for children to attend in order to make up for lost earnings. (Patrinos and Siddiqi) It should be free and serve food supplements so that the nutrition might be viewed as a valuable source of food for the children supported by families of poverty.

Proper ventilated and safe working places should be government regulated to guarantee that the children that need to work are safe from abuse from their employers, given only certain amount of hours to ensure a proper education ...