1 child labour incidents
1.1 cocoa production
1.2 mining in africa
1.3 meatpacking
1.4 gap
1.5 h&m , zara
1.6 silk weaving
1.7 primark
child labour incidents
cocoa production
in 1998, unicef reported ivory coast farmers used enslaved children – many surrounding countries. in late 2000 bbc documentary reported use of enslaved children in production of cocoa—the main ingredient in chocolate— in west africa. other media followed reporting widespread child slavery , child trafficking in production of cocoa. in 2001, state department estimated there 15,000 child slaves cocoa, cotton , coffee farms in ivory coast, , chocolate manufacturers association acknowledged child slavery used in cocoa harvest.
malian migrants have long worked on cocoa farms in ivory coast, in 2000 cocoa prices had dropped 10-year low , farmers stopped paying employees. malian counsel had rescue boys had not been paid 5 years , beaten if tried run away. malian officials believed 15,000 children, young 11 years old, working in ivory coast in 2001. these children poor families or slums , sold work in other countries. parents told children find work , send money home, once children left home, worked in conditions resembling slavery. in other cases, children begging food lured bus stations , sold slaves. in 2002, ivory coast had 12,000 children no relatives nearby, suggested trafficked, neighboring mali, burkina faso , togo.
the cocoa industry accused of profiting child slavery , trafficking. european cocoa association dismissed these accusations false , excessive , industry said reports not representative of areas. later industry acknowledged working conditions children unsatisfactory , children s rights violated , acknowledged claims not ignored. in bbc interview, ambassador ivory coast united kingdom called these reports of widespread use of slave child labour 700,000 cocoa farmers absurd , inaccurate.
in 2001, voluntary agreement called harkin-engel protocol, accepted international cocoa , chocolate industry eliminate worst forms of child labour, defined ilo s convention 182, in west africa. agreement created foundation named international cocoa initiative in 2002. foundation claims has, of 2011, active programs in 290 cocoa growing communities in côte d ivoire , ghana, reaching total population of 689,000 people eliminate worst forms of child labour in cocoa industry. other organisations claim progress has been made, protocol s 2005 deadlines have not yet been met.
mining in africa
children engaged in diamond mining in sierra leone.
in 2008, bloomberg claimed child labour in copper , cobalt mines supplied chinese companies in congo. children creuseurs, dig ore hand, carry sacks of ores on backs, , these purchased these companies. on 60 of katanga s 75 processing plants owned chinese companies , 90 percent of region s minerals go china. african ngo report claimed 80,000 child labourers under age of 15, or 40% of miners, supplying ore chinese companies in african region. amnesty international alleged in 2016 cobalt sold congo dongfang mining produced child labour, , being used in lithium-ion batteries powering electric cars , mobile devices worldwide.
bbc, in 2012, accused glencore of using child labour in mining , smelting operations of africa. glencore denied used child labour, , said has strict policy of not using child labour. company claimed has strict policy whereby copper mined correctly, placed in bags numbered seals , sent smelter. glencore mentioned being aware of child miners part of group of artisanal miners had without authorisation raided concession awarded company since 2010; glencore has been pleading government remove artisanal miners concession.
small-scale artisanal mining of gold source of dangerous child labour in poor rural areas in parts of world. form of mining uses labour-intensive , low-tech methods. informal sector of economy. human rights watch group estimates 12 percent of global gold production comes artisanal mines. in west africa, in countries such mali - third largest exporter of gold in africa - between 20,000 , 40,000 children work in artisanal mining. locally known orpaillage, children young 6 years old work families. these children , families suffer chronic exposure toxic chemicals including mercury, , hazardous work such digging shafts , working underground, pulling up, carrying , crushing ore. poor work practices harm long term health of children, release hundreds of tons of mercury every year local rivers, ground water , lakes. gold important economy of mali , ghana. mali, second largest earner of export revenue. many poor families children, primary , source of income.
meatpacking
in august 2008, iowa labour commissioner david neil announced department had found agriprocessors, kosher meatpacking company in postville had been raided immigration , customs enforcement, had employed 57 minors, young 14, in violation of state law prohibiting under 18 working in meatpacking plant. neil announced turning case on state attorney general prosecution, claiming department s inquiry had discovered egregious violations of virtually every aspect of iowa s child labour laws. agriprocessors claimed @ loss understand allegations. agriprocessors ceo went trial on these charges in state court on 4 may 2010. after five-week trial found not guilty of 57 charges of child labour violations black hawk county district court jury in waterloo, iowa, on 7 june 2010.
gap
working child in ooty, india
a 2007 report claimed gap products had been produced child labourers. gap acknowledged problem , announced pulling products shelf. report found gap had rigorous social audit systems since 2004 eliminate child labour in supply chain. however, report concluded system being abused unscrupulous subcontractors.
gap s policy, report claimed, if discovers child labour used supplier in branded clothes, contractor must remove child workplace, provide access schooling , wage, , guarantee opportunity of work on reaching legal working age.
in 2007, new york times reported gap, after child labour discovery, created $200,000 grant improve working conditions in supplier community.
h&m , zara
in december 2009, campaigners in uk called on 2 leading high street retailers stop selling clothes made cotton may have been picked children. anti-slavery international , environmental justice foundation (ejf) accused h&m , zara of using cotton suppliers in bangladesh. suspected many of raw materials originates uzbekistan, children aged 10 forced work in fields. activists calling ban use of uzbek cotton , implement track , trace systems guarantee ethical responsible source of material.
h&m said not accept child labour , seeks avoid using uzbek cotton, admitted did not have reliable methods ensure uzbek cotton did not end in of products. inditex, owner of zara, said code of conduct banned child labour.
silk weaving
a 2003 human rights watch report claimed children young 5 years old employed , worked 12 hours day , 6 7 days week in silk industry. these children, hrw claimed, bonded child labour in india, easy find in karnataka, uttar pradesh , tamil nadu.
in 2010, german news investigative report claimed in silk weaving industry, non-governmental organisations (ngos) had found 10,000 children working in 1,000 silk factories in 1998. in other places, thousands of bonded child labour present in 1994. after unicef , ngos got involved, after 2005, child labour figure drastically lower, total estimated fewer thousand child labourers. released children in school, claims report.
primark
in 2008, bbc reported company primark using child labour in manufacture of clothing. in particular, £4 hand-embroidered shirt starting point of documentary produced bbc s panorama programme. programme asks consumers ask themselves, why paying £4 hand embroidered top? item looks handmade. made such little cost? , in addition exposing violent side of child labour industry in countries child exploitation prevalent.
as result of bbc report, royal television society awarded prize, , primark took immediate action , fired 3 indian suppliers in 2008.
primark continued investigate allegations 3 years, concluding bbc report fake. in 2011, following investigation bbc trust’s editorial standards committee, bbc announced, having scrutinised of relevant evidence, committee concluded that, on balance of probabilities, more not bangalore footage not authentic. bbc subsequently apologised faking footage, , returned television award investigative reporting.
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