child labour and the garment industry
TRANSCRIPT
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CHILD LABOUR IN TEXTILE
AND GARMENT SECTOR
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES
2011
Amritaksha Duttagupta(Roll No.-04)Dipali Modi(Roll No.-06)Raj Mohan(Roll No.-14)
Rashmi Kumari(Roll No.-16)Rnu Ranjita !ugun(Roll No.-1")Dpartmnt o# $ashion %&hnolog'N$%-kolkata
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TABLE OF CONTENT
Sl No. Topics Pa! "o.
1. Executive Summary 1-9
2. Report 10-13
3. Cases of fashion houses getting involve !ith
chil la"or
1#-1$
#. %nia& Chil 'a"our in (arment %nustry 1)-2$
*. +ulnera"ility,o Enslavement mongChilrenn olescents %n (arment anufacturing %n
/ational Capital Region
2)
. Chil 'a"or an the (arment %nustry in
anglaesh.
29-32
$. Chil n uvenile 'a"or&- +arious cts
Relate ,o %nia
32-33
). Chil 'a"our an prevention & %nian
perspective
3#-3$
9. Recommenations & a holistic approach 3)-39
10. i"liography #0
EXECUTI#E SUMMAR$
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%&a' is c&il( la)o*+,
Chil la"our is the term !e use !hen !e tal a"out chilren !hose la"our is exploite either
"ecause they are too young to !or4 or !hen they are of !oring age "ut toil uner
conitions that put them at ris. %t oes not apply to chilren "et!een the ages of 12 an 1#
engage in light !or as escri"e "elo!4 or chilren 1*-1$ !ho !or "ut are not expose to
ha5ars.
,he %'6 inimum ge Convention4 19$3 7/o.13)8 applies to all economic sectors an all
!oring chilren4 unless a ratifying State initially exempts certain economic sectors an
occupations !here it anticipates significant ifficulties of enforcement. %t calls on ratifying
States to fix a general minimum !oring age4 allo!ing some flexi"ility for eveloping
countries in particular4 an sets out a range of minimum ages "elo! !hich no chil shoul
engage in light or ha5arous !or. ,he supplementing Recommenation /o. 1# provies
practical guiance on the protection of young persons at !or.
,he report escri"es the connections "et!een la"our "roers an force la"our particularly
the chil !orers in three regions of %nia&
%nian !orers 7chil an :uvenile8 migrating into omestic apparel prouction in
,irupur;
%nian !orers 7chil8 migrating into garment prouction in the /ational Capital
Region 7/CR8
%nian chil !orers migrating to the ile East for !or primarily in
manufacturing garments.
,he multifacete roles playe "y "roers in each region; the means "y !hich "roers create
vulnera"ilities to force la"or; an the unerlying social4 economic an legal factors that
contri"ute to the continuance of the system !ere examine in each locale.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION -ITUC
INTERNATIONALL$ RECOGNISED CORE LABOUR STANDARDS IN INDIA
%nia has ratifie four-core %'6 la"our Conventions. %n vie! of restrictions on the trae union
rights of !orers4 iscrimination4 chil la"our4 an force la"our4 etermine measures areneee to comply !ith the commitments %nia accepte at Singapore4 (eneva an
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%nia has ratifie %'6 Convention /o. 100 on EAual Remuneration an Convention /o. 111
on
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programme4 an a"out )0 per cent !ere enrolle in community-"ase schools organi5e "y
t!o /(6s4 the anglaesh Rural vancement Committee 7RC8 an (ono Shah::o
Shangstha 7(SS8. "out 2 chilren receive other sills training. follo!-up agreement
!as esigne to eep these chilren in school "eyon age 1#. ,his successful pro:ect spurre
the (overnment of anglaesh to :oin other South sian nations in pleging to eliminatechil la"our "y 2010. Recogni5ing the importance of eucation in achieving this goal4 it also
launche a asic Eucation for Dr"an =oring Chilren @ro:ect in 2000.
I"(ia C&il( La)o*+ i" Ga+!"' I"(*s'+3
TIRUPUR
(arment prouction in ,irupur4 also no!n as ,-shirt city4F on %nia>s southernmost tip4
accounts for approximately )0 percent of %nia>s total prouction of nit!ear for export. t
the top of the supply chain are a small num"er of large factories4 employing 14000 !orers ormore per unit4 !ith smaller enterprises employing "et!een 100-2*0 !orers :ust "elo!.
,hese "usinesses contract to a large an complicate net!or of su"contractors that inclue
small factory- an home-"ase !orers. ,he movement of prouct "et!een these units4 an
often the supervision of !orers !ithin units4 is overseen "y a variety of la"or "roers. ,he
,irupur garment !orforce has traitionally "een ra!n from near"y regions; "ut !ith recent
high rates of gro!th4 there has "een a shortage of local !orers4 resulting in the migration
an4 in some cases4 trafficing of !orers from further a!ay. ,rae unions an local /(6s
estimate that approximately 0 percent of !orers in the region are contract !orers. %n
contrast to permanent employees4 contract !orers are employe on a piece rate "asis4 aily!age "asis4 or as apprentices. ?orce la"or !as ientifie in the case of girls an young
!omen traffice uner the Sumangali scheme7reference4?R6/,'%/E8 escri"e "elo!
uner ?orce 'a"orF.
%n ,irupur4 the preconitions for force la"or are pervasive among aolescent girls traffice
into the garment inustry in ,irupur uner !hat is no!n locally as the Sumangali Scheme4F
or analya ,hittam. Dner this system4 aolescent girls ranging in age from 1# to 1$ years
ol are recruite from other states4 incluing Gerala an nhra @raesh4 to !or for t!o- or
three-year perios in ,irupur-"ase textile factories. ,he la"or contract is conclue "et!een
a la"or "roer an the parents of the girl. la"or "roer4 !ho then transports the girl to,irupur an assumes responsi"ility for her la"or4 pays the parents a eposit up-front. ,he
salaries of the girls are !ithhel uring the t!o- or three-year !or perio an pai to the
parents upon return of the girls to their homes. ,his money is then use for the girls> o!ries.
Charges for foo an housing are eucte from the girls> salaries4 !ho are house at the
!orsite an their freeom of movement is severely curtaile. ,hey are not allo!e to leave
the factory grouns except at prescri"e times4 uring !hich they are accompanie "y a
security guar. +ulnera"ility to sexual a"use is high.
Na'io"al Capi'al R!io" -NCR
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%t is the largest commercial centre in /orth %nia. ,he gro!th of textiles in this region in the
past several years has "een nota"le4 comprising almost #0 percent of total inustrial gro!th.
,he /CR garment sector is extremely fragmente4 !hich maes monitoring of the supply
chain ifficult. Exporters o!n multiple prouction units an use numerous su"contractors.
igrant contract !orers are the preferre !orforce4 !ith non-permanent !orers
comprising some )0 percent of all factory employees in the /CR. (enerally4 these !orers
come from rural impoverishe "acgrouns an are first-generation inustrial !orers an
uner age. ,hese !orers generally o not settle in /CR "ut migrate "ac to their home
states each year after a prouction cycle. ale migrants preominate in garment factories.
ome!or is also present in the supply chain4 particularly for highly la"or-intensive an
speciali5e functions4 such as em"roiery. 'a"or exploitation in em"roiery H particularly
among chil !orers H is pervasive4 !ith chilren "eing traffice "y "roers from other
states an "eing hel captive in clear situations of force la"or.
4ERELA/GULF STATE
,here are an estimate 3. million %nian migrant !orers in the six (ulf countries of the
ile East4 incluing 1.# million in Saui ra"ia; 1.2 million in the Dnite ra" Emirates
7DE8; an the remaining in ahrain4 Gu!ait4 6man4 an Iatar. %nian !orers originate
largely from southern states of %nia. ,he states of Gerala an ,amil /au alone account for
#3 per cent of the emigration clearances4 sening )149*0 an $941* !orers respectively.
,he DE is the ma:or receiving country of migrant !orers from Gerala; an its tertiarysector H trae4 restaurants4 transport4 communications4 real estate4 "usiness4 an manual an
management services H is the largest employer of migrant !orers from %nia. J ll
migrants use la"or "roers in some form to facilitate travel an arrange for visas. ecause of
the high num"ers of %nians migrating to (ulf countries from the state of Gerala4 Geralite
migrants !ere the focus of this stuy. %nternational migration "et!een the state of Gerala an
the (ulf countries sho!e a high incience of force la"or.
6riginally4 research !as focuse on !orers in construction an infrastructure; ho!ever4
other inustries !ere foun to have similar patterns of force la"or such as !orers acting as
rivers4 coos4 an omestic help for iniviuals in (ulf countries. Since almost half of all
!orers in the t!o Gerala istricts surveye !ore in the DE4 this report focuse on that
countryKs la"or la!s an la"or ynamics4 although other (ulf countries are iscusse.
HAITI APPAREL INDUSTR$
,hirty years ago4 aitiLs apparel inustry !as a relia"le supplier of assem"le goos to the
D.S. maret an employe as many as 1004000 !orers. Chances !ere goo that D.S.
"ase"all pitchers !ere thro!ing "alls se!n in aiti4 an that D.S. chilren !ere sleeping inpa:amas se!n in aiti. ,he intervening years have "een ifficult for aiti4 mare "y a
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struggle to sta"ili5e governance4 to institutionali5e respect for political an human rights4 to
moerni5e infrastructure4 an to encourage environmental ste!arship re"uil after ecaes
uner the poor leaership of the
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the greatest possi"le a!areness of chilren>s rights an the amage to chilren cause "y
chil la"our
R!c!"' D!9!lop!"'s : A Mo(!l To S&o;.
T&! Ba"la(!s& Ga+!"' Ma"*ac'*+!+s< a"( E7po+'!+s< Associa'io" -BGMEA5 incolla"oration !ith the %nternational 'a"or 6rgani5ation 7%'68 an D/%CE?4 evelope the
Chil 'a"or @ro:ect to eliminate chil la"or in the 24*00 mem"er factories4 an to provie an
alternative to former chil la"orers in the form of an eucation program.
REPORT
I"'+o(*c'io" C&il( La)o*+
%&a' is C&il( La)o*+,
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Chil la"or is !or that harms chilren or eeps them
from attening school. roun the !orl an in the D.
S.4 gro!ing gaps "et!een rich an poor in recent
ecaes have force millions of young chilren out of
school an into !or. ,he %nternational 'a"or6rgani5ation estimates that 21* million chilren
"et!een the ages of * an 1$ currently !or uner
conitions that are consiere illegal4 ha5arous4 or
extremely exploitative.
Dnerage chilren !or at all sorts of :o"s aroun the !orl4 usually "ecause they an their
families are extremely poor. 'arge num"ers of chilren !or in commercial agriculture4
fishing4 manufacturing4 mining4 an omestic service. Some chilren !or in illicit activities
lie the rug trae an prostitution or other traumatic activities such as serving as soliers.
C&il( la)o*+refers to the employment of chilren at regular an sustaine la"our. ,his
practice is consiere exploitative "y many international organi5ations an is illegal in many
countries. Chil la"our !as employe to varying extents through most of history4 "ut entere
pu"lic ispute !ith the avent of universal schooling4 !ith changes in !oring conitions
uring the inustrial revolution4 an !ith the emergence of the concepts of !orersK
an chilrenKs rights.
%n many evelope countries4 it is consiere inappropriate or exploitative if a chil "elo! a
certain age !ors 7excluing househol chores4 in a family shop4 or school-relate !or8. n
employer is usually not permitte to hire a chil "elo! a certain minimum age. ,his
minimum age epens on the country an the type of !or involve. States ratifying
the inimum ge Convention aopte "y the %nternational 'a"or 6rgani5ation in 19$34 have
aopte minimum ages varying from 1# to 1. Chil la"or la!s in the Dnite States set the
minimum age to !or in an esta"lishment !ithout restrictions an !ithout parentsK consent at
age 14 except for the agricultural inustry !here chilren as young as 12 years of age can
!or in the fiels for an unlimite num"er of non-school hours. ChilrenKs ct for
Responsi"le Employment 7CRE ct8.
,he incience of chil la"our in the !orl ecrease from 2* to 10 percent "et!een 190 an
20034 accoring to the =orl an.
HISTORICAL BAC4GROUND
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la"our. Chil la"our can also "e efine as the full-time employment of chilren !ho are
uner a minimum legal age.
,he +ictorian era"ecame notorious for employing young chilren in factories4 mines4
chimney s!eeps an the garment inustry. Chil la"our playe an important role in the
%nustrial Revolutionfrom its outset4 often "rought a"out "y economic harship4 Charles
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P+!s!"' (a3 Sc!"a+io
Chil la"our is still common in some parts of the!orl4 it can "e factory !or particularly
the textile an garment inustry4 mining4 agriculture4 helping in the parentsK "usiness4
having oneKs o!n small "usiness7for example selling foo84 or oing o :o"s. Some
chilren !or as guies for tourists4 sometimes com"ine !ith "ringing in "usiness forshops an restaurants 7!here they may also !or as !aiters8.
6ther chilren are force to o teious an repetitive :o"s such as& assem"ling "oxes4
polishing shoes4 stocing a storeKs proucts4 or cleaning. o!ever4 rather than in
factories ans!eatshops4 most chil la"our occurs in the informal sector4 Nselling many
things on the streets4 at !or in agriculture or hien a!ay in housesBfar from the
reach of official la"our inspectors an from meia scrutiny.
ccoring to D/%CE?4 there are an estimate 2*0 million chilren age * to 1# in chil
la"our !orl!ie4 excluing chil omestic la"our. ,he Dnite /ationsan the%nternational 'a"or 6rgani5ationconsier chil la"our exploitative4 !ith the D/
stipulating4 in article 32 of theConvention on the Rights of the Chilthat&
...States @arties recogni5e the right of the chil to "e protecte from economic exploitation
an from performing any !or that is liely to "e ha5arous or to interfere !ith the
chilKs eucation4 or to "e harmful to the chilKs health or physical4 mental4 spiritual4
moral or social evelopment. lthough glo"ally there is an estimate 2*0 million
chilren !oring.
%n the 1990s every country in the !orl except for Somaliaan theDnite States"ecame a
signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Chil4or CRC. Somalia eventuallysigne the convention in 2002; the elay of the signing !as "elieve to "een ue to
Somalia not having a government.
,he %nternational 'a"our 6rgani5ation>s %nternational @rogramme on the Elimination of
Chil 'a"our 7%@EC84 foune in 19924 aims to eliminate chil la"our. %t operates in ))
countries an is the largest program of its in in the !orl. %@EC !ors !ith
international an government agencies4 /(6s4 the meia4 an chilren an their
families to en chil la"our an provie chilren !ith eucation an assistance.
12
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_businesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNICEFhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Labor_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Childhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Childhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somaliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Childhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Childhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_businesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNICEFhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Labor_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Childhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somaliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Child -
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P!+c!"'a! o c&il( as %o+6!+s -o" a" a9!+a! i" '&! ;o+l(/So*+c!/ Bas!( o" '&! BBS
(a'a
Ris6 a+!as c&il(+!" a+o*"( '&! ;o+l(
Source:-Queensland Review of Child Labour: discussion paper
%n accorance !ith the frame!or provie "y the %'6 Convention 13)4 these riss fall
!ithin t!o "roa categories&
Ca'!o+3 o"!& Li&' ;o+6 +is6sH the issue of Llight> !or 7light4 safe !or !hich oes not
place the chil at ris of harm or :eoparise their right to an eucation84 an
Ca'!o+3 ';o Ris6s 'o &!al'&5 sa!'3 a"( ;!ll)!i" - riss to the Lhealth4 safety an
!ell"eing> of young !orers.
CASES OF FASHION HOUSES GETTING IN#OL#ED %ITH CHILD LABOR
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GAP
fter the ne!s of chil la"ourers !oring in em"roiery inustry !as uncovere in
the Sunay 6"server on 2) 6cto"er 200$4 activists s!ung into action. ,he (@ %nc. in
a statement accepte that the chil la"ourers !ere !oring in prouction of (@ Gis
"louses an has alreay mae a statement to pull the proucts from the shelf. %n spite of the
ocumentation of the chil la"ourers !oring in the high-street fashion an amission "y all
concerne parties4 only the S
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exception. %n 2004 (ap %nc. cease "usiness !ith 23 factories ue to coe violations . =e
have 90 people locate aroun the !orl !hose :o" is to ensure compliance !ith our Coe of
+enor Conuct. s soon as !e !ere alerte to this situation4 !e stoppe the !or orer an
prevente the prouct from "eing sol in stores. =hile violations of our strict prohi"ition on
chil la"or in factories that prouce prouct for the company are extremely rare4 !e havecalle an urgent meeting !ith our suppliers in the region to reinforce our policies.N
H=M
%n a+a
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Reprter rasil that ara shoul "e responsi"le for all of its suppliers4 an it is a uty of the
company to "e a!are of ho! its merchanise is "eing prouce.F ,he report also suggests
that there are 30 other factories !ith similar !oring conitions proucing for ara in ra5il.
#ic'o+ias Secret>s proucts is actually prouce "y a company that largely relies on
force chil la"orers.
,he report follo!s the heart"reaing story of 13-year-ol Clarisse4 !ho !ors at a urina
?aso farm that supplies much of +ictoria>s Secret>s cotton.
=hat>s !orse4 +ictoria>s Secret once marete the garments mae !ith urina ?aso cottonas goo for !omen4 goo for the chilren !ho epen on themFHthe result of a 200$ eal "y
the company to "uy fair-trae an organic cotton to support sustaina"le ra! materials an
"enefit female frican farmers.F Dnfortunately4 accoring to the report4 the premium prices
associate !ith fair-trae an organic cotton have create fresh incentives for farmers in
urina ?asoHa country !hose population largely lives off of :ust W2 a ayHto exploit chil
la"orers.
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D!!"c! o c&il( la)o*+
Concerns have often "een raise over the "uying pu"licKs moral complicity in purchasing
proucts assem"le or other!ise manufacture ineveloping countries !ith chil
la"our. o!ever4 others have raise concerns that"oycottingproucts manufacture
through chil la"our may force these chilren to turn to more angerous or strenuousprofessions4 such as prostitution or agriculture. ?or example4 a D/%CE?stuy foun
that after the Chil 'a"or
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countries of the %'6 at the %nternational 'a"our Conference in une 199) an in the
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ault migrant la"orers hailing from states near an far4 incluing nhra @raesh4
Dttar @raesh4 6rissa4 ihar4 ssam4 an =est engal4 as !ell as from other istricts
!ithin ,amil /au.
Research foun clear an unAuestiona"le conitions of force la"or among the girls !oringuner the Sumangalischeme. roers are a ey element of the system4 eceiving girls an
their families a"out :o" types an pay. Chilla"orers are not recruite through la"or "roers
an !ere not foun4 in general4 to "e in situations of force la"or. o!ever4 the practice of
parents taing an avance from the chil>s employer is common4 an creates a ynamic of
temporal e"t "onage. ult migrants are not generally recruite "y "roers an are
employe freely. 6ne interesting fining !ith respect to ault migrants is that in some cases4
they then "ecome "roers on the sie4 recruiting aolescent girls from their home regions into
the Sumangali scheme.
SG-+eritU !ore !ith local /(6s to ientify the geographic areas in an aroun ,irupur
!ith populations
most vulnera"le to "roer-relate force la"or. Specific locales for the stuy !ere selecte
"ase on the criteria "elo!&
magnitue of the pro"lem 7num"ers of chil4 Sumangali or contract la"orers8
the presence of la"or "roers;
specific vulnera"ilities of the !orers;
!oring conitions in !hich they are employe; an
ongoing or past interventions "y local "oies an organi5ations.
T&! s!c'o+ a"( i's !o+ap&3/Ti+*p*+
,he state of ,amil /au4 at %nia>s southernmost tip4 is home to a 12)-year-ol textile an
garment inustry. (arment prouction is prevalent in the near"y Coim"atore istrict4 "ut *0
ilometers south of Coim"atore is ,irupur city4 or ,-shirtF city4 as it has "ecome no!n.
,his region>s garment sector accounts for up!ars of 90 percent of %nia>s total prouction of
nit!ear for export. ,he process of prouction for nitte fa"rics is comprise of more than a
o5en steps resulting in a final stitche garment reay for maret4 !hich coul "e inner !ear4
hosiery4 t-shirts4 or virtually any garment mae from a stitche fa"ric.
,he inustry in ,irupur manufactures over $* percent of %nia>s national exports of nit!ear
an generates as much as # percent of %niaKs total export trae. ?or the European Dnion4
garment exports from ,irupur account for nearly #0 percent of the total volume4 an
contri"ute more than 0 percent of total value.N ore than *0 percent of ,irupurKs exports are
estine for the DS maret; "ut the main DS export is !hite uner!ear4 !hich as little to
the total value of exports to the Dnite States. ,he ,irupur nit!ear inustry>s exports are
irecte to customers in the follo!ing percentages& 10 percent to epartment stores4 0
percent to importers4 10 per cent to catalogue stores4 five percent to retailers4 an five percent
to esta"lishe consumer "rans.
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mong ma:or customers of ,irupur>s exports are Gitaso4 Savan"ee4 ,exman4 arine @ro4
/or!igs Clipper4 (reen Gnit!ear4 'otto4 rro!4 Roytex4 =al-art4 Gs !orforce is employe exclusively in nitting an stitching :o"s.
olescent girls recruite into the Sumangali scheme range in
age4 on average4 from 1# to 1) years ol.
,hey come to ,irupur on time-"oun contracts4 usually threeyears in uration. ,hey are provie !ith foo an loging4 "ut
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are pai the "ul of their salary at the en of the contract term in orer to use the money for
their o!ries. ,he girls are typically from various istricts of ,amil /au4 the neigh"ouring
states of Gerala an nhra @raesh4 an sometimes from more istant areas4 such as Dttar
@raesh4 6rissa4 an (u:arat. Dner the Sumangali SchemeF or analya ,hittam4 young
girls are offere a small monthly payment !ith a lump sum of approximately %/R 304000-#04000 7DS< #*-)08 at the en of a three year contract term. ,hey are house together on
company premises or in other locations a!ay from the factory grouns. ,he lump sum
payment serves as a o!ry4 an constitutes a tremenous sum of money for %nia>s
economically isavantage populations. Chilren at a core group meeting !ith /ational
Chil Rights Commission an other civil-society partners inicate the existence of
Sumangali Scheme in "oth ,irupur an Coim"atore.1) ,he Sumangali scheme sho!s clear
hallmars of force la"or4 such as "roers> eception a"out !or conitions4 !ithhel pay4
compromise freeom of movement4 an threats of violence. 200# stuy reporte that4
olescent4 unmarrie young girls of 1* to 2* are preferre in the textile an garment
inustry for their efficiency in !or output. any girls are recruite uner the Sumangali
Scheme H earning o!ry money for the girls> future marriages.
S*a"ali ;o+6!+s a+! !sp!ciall3 9*l"!+a)l! 'o la)o+ a"( &*a" +i&'s 9iola'io"s4 such
as ver"al a"use4 iscrimination4 excessive !or hours4 angerous !oring conitions4 an
non-payment of !ages an "enefits. ,hese girls are typically employe as apprenticesF4 "ut
the conitions of their employment contravene %nia>s la!s on the su":ect& pprentices are
suppose to "e provie training an then evaluate through sills testing for permanent
employment. ,hey are also prohi"ite from !oring overtime. /either of these provisions is
o"serve in the employment of girls uner the Sumangali scheme. recent stuy conucte
"y the ,irupur @eople>s ?orum for @rotection of Environment an 'a"our Rights attempte tosurvey an Auantify the source regions of these migrants to textile mills4 an covere the
regions an municipalities of ,irunelveli4 +iruhunagar4 ,heni4 Sivaganga an Garur. Survey
efforts inclue 14$#9 families of girls !ho have gone to !or in spinning mills4 sprea
across 399 villages from 1$ @anchayat Dnions 7an aministrative units comprise of 3-*
villages8 !ithin five istricts.
,he stuy reveale that nearly 1) percent of migrant girls !ere "elo! 1* years of age an 9
percent of them !ere "elo! 1) years of age. nother stuy reveale that approximately
324#* young !omen !orers !ere employe in 14$02 factories in ,irupur an the near"y
to!n of vinashi. 6f these young !omen4 )4)90 !ere aolescent girls an young !omen
!orers employe uner the Sumangali scheme. o!ever4 estimates as to the extent of the
pro"lem vary !iely. ccoring to the Campaign for the Rights of the Dnorgani5e =orers4
there are a"out 3$4000 girls an !omen !oring uner the scheme in 913 cotton mills in
,amil /au.
'a"or organi5ations have note the up!ar tren in mills using the scheme an aire the
issue pu"lically at a hearing organi5e "y the ,amil /au State Commission for =omen on
the Sumangali ,hittam.
separate stuy foun that girls !oring uner the Sumanagli scheme in ,irupur came from
!ithin the state of ,amil /au4 as !ell as from more remote regions of %nia4 incluing theistricts of Gerala4 nhra @raesh4 Dttar @raesh4 6rissa4 an (u:arat.
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Chilren Ranging in age from eight to 1# years ol 7a"ove the age of 1#4 these !orers are
legally classifie as :uvenile !orers84 chil !orers are employe mainly has helpers4
primarily in su"contracting prouction units. ,hese chilren are often from families that havemigrate to ,irupur seeing !or4 !ith some from locally "ase families. =hen parents are
una"le to fin !or4 their chilren must help support the family "y earning !hat is
consiere an attractive !age in the garment inustry. ,he average income of these chilren
lies "et!een %/R 1* an %/R 30 per ay 7DS< .32-.#84 or a"out half of the aily rate for
ault !orers performing the same :o"s.
=hile conucting a factory assessment for an international "ran4 SG-+erite foun that over
12 percent of the factory>s !orforce !as comprise of :uvenile !orers age 1*-1).
@rimar4 the lo!-cost ritish clothing retailer4 recently issolve its relationship !ith three of
its ,irupur suppliers after iscovering they !ere su"contracting !or to chil la"orers. Chil
la"or is not limite to ,irupur4 an is present across %nia>s garment supply chain. ,he /(6
achpan achao nolan 74 or Save Chilhoo Campaign8 ientifie venors for the
(ap4 %nc. that !ere employing chil la"or in the s association to tae the lea in
implementating it to ensure maximum effectiveness.
,hough no figures are availa"le to confirm the expansion of recruitment of Sumangali girls
into regions as far a!ay as Dttar @raesh an ihar to ,irupur parallels the migration patterns
of ault male !orers4 confirming anecotal accounts that migrants have "ecome recruiters.
Gno!lege of the system may help them to operate uner the raarF4 cooperating !ith
net!orers of other "roers4 "ri"ing local officials !hen necessary4 an even putting pressure
on local families to sen their aughters into the system.
secon type of la"or contractor is engage "y a company to fin la"or to perform aparticular :o" !ithin a factory. ll management responsi"ilities of the !orforce performing
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this specific tas lie !ith the contractor4 although legally the principal employer 7the factory8
hols ultimate final responsi"ility for la"or rights compliance. ,hese "roers either "ring
!orers to :oin the company4 or the employer assigns !orers uner them as contract
!orers. ,he employer oes this to ecrease their responsi"ility for these !orers4 !ith the
contractors responsi"le for the specific :o" !ith a specific num"er of !orers 7eitherrecruite "y the contractor or "y the employer8 to complete the :o". %f the employer !ere to
utili5e regular 7permanent8 !orers4 the company !oul have to oversee all aspects of
prouction an "e responsi"le for the prouct Auality4 the timeliness of prouction4 human
resource management4 an paying !orer !ages an "enefits
S!7 '+aic6!+s
,his group of "roers is the secon to "e systematically involve in force la"or. Sex
trafficers intersect 7an sometimes overlap8 !ith the "roers that recruit or manage girls
!oring uner the Sumangali scheme.,he "roer reporte that the system of sex trafficing
of girls involve in the Sumangali scheme is strong an resilient4 !ith entrenche net!ors
among supervisors4 other factory !orers4 company managers4 staff at company housing4 an
other la"or suppliers. ,he Sumangali scheme lens itself especially !ell to the sex trae4 !ith
young girls age 1*-20 living an !oring uner the constant supervision of managers an
hostel o!ners4 !ith no freeom of movement an very little a"ility to communicate freely
!ith family or friens. ,hese girls are systematically threatene an force into the trae.
ccoring to SG-+erite>s sources4 sex trafficers charge "et!een %/R 24*00-*4000 7DSs families4 a high eman for cheap
la"or4 an the relatively high !ages in the ,irupur garment sector !hen compare to other
la"or intensive inustries in ,amil /au 7such as "eei an match manufacturing84 ra!
chilren to employment. ?or example4 in the hosieryYnitting inustry4 chilren are a"le toearn !ages "et!een %/R 30-$0 per ay 7DS< .*-1.*084 !hile in the "eei inustry chilren
earn %/R 3 7DS< .08 per ay for 12-1# hours of !or.
#*l"!+a)ili'3 To E"sla9!!"' Ao" C&il(+!" A"( A(ol!sc!"'s I" Ga+!"'
Ma"*ac'*+i" I" Na'io"al Capi'al R!io"
,he /ational Capital Region 7/CR8 is the largest
commercial center in /orth %nia4 !ith the garment
sector playing a ey role in the economy. ,he /CR
garment sector is extremely fragmente4 !ith multiple
tiers of prouction facilities that vary in si5e from
large factories to home-"ase units. ,his maes
monitoring of the supply chain challenging. %n first-
tier factories an su"contracting units4 migrant contract !orers are the preferre !orforce.(enerally4 these !orers come from rural impoverishe "acgrouns an are first generation
inustrial !orers. roers H no!n as contractorsF H are integral to the functioning of the
supply chain& they serve various roles4 incluing as managers of temporary contracteF
!orforces on-site at large4 firsttier
factories; o!ner-su"contractors of secon- an thir-tier prouction units; recruiters of chil
"one la"orers; an contractors for net!ors of home-"ase em"roiery !orers.
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Sangam +ihar4 ,ughlaa"a4 6hla @hase H %%4 (ovinpuri4 an atla ouse are all
areas surrouning the 6hla garments hu" in South
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staffe "y a mixture of permanent employees an contract !orers !hile the secon tiers
receive su"contracte orers an are staffe primarily "y contract !orers.
lternatively4 some !or may tae place at small fa"rication units; informal prouction
units of 20 !orers or less. ?a"rication units cover a !ie variety of tass4 either unertaingthe same cutting an tailoring as the first- an secon-tier factories or more specific tass
such as stone !ashing for :eans. ,hey can "e locate any!here from alongsie a factory to in
the "asement of a home4 an fa"rication units are nearly al!ays unregistere.
t this point the main structure of the garment is complete4 "ut the prouction process is far
from over4 an "ecomes speciali5e epening on the nature of the garment. ,he ecorative
elements that characteri5e laies> !ear an mae the /CR the most profita"le garment
manufacturing center in %nia are ae next. Em"roiery an other forms of ecoration4
!hich may account for up to *0 percent of the cost of any given garment4*1 are ivie into
several istinct styles& aa !or4 intricate se!ing performe on a loom; 5aro5i !or4 gol
or silver metallic threa!or; an moti !or4 or "eaing.
%n 20014 the most recent year for !hich figures are availa"le4 the /ational Chil 'a"or@ro:ect reporte that approximately #24000 chil la"orers !ore across all sectors in
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an that approximately 1411$4*00 an 1492$499$ respectively !ore in ihar an Dttar
@raesh4 the t!o most common states of origin for migrant !orers in the /CR region.$*
Dsing government statistics4 it is not possi"le to extrapolate the num"er of chil la"orers in
the /CR4 !hich inclues portions of Dttar @raesh an other neigh"oring states4 as oppose
to
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the loss of !ages accompanie "y threats of ismissal if !orers refuse to o overtime
"eyon the scope of their contract or of national la!.
#!+"a)ili'3 To E"sla9!!"' O C&il( La)o*+!+s Mi+a'i" F+o T&! I"(ia" S'a'!s O
4!+!la To T&! G*l Co*"'+i!s O T&! Mi((l!/Eas'
?orce 'a"our is prevalent from Gerala4 %nia to the
(ulf Cooperation Council states or (CC States 7!hich
inclues Saui ra"ia4 Gu!ait4 ahrain4 Iatar4 Dnite
ra" Emirates an 6man8 "y&
Categori5ing channels an processes through
!hich !orers are sent into conitions of force
la"or;
Exploring an ientifying linages "et!een
force la"or an la"or "roerageYrecruitingagencies;
apping the types of la"or "roerageYrecruiting agencies; an
ientifying the root causes an riss of force la"or ue to the presence of la"or
"roers. ,he role of "roers in the recruitment an hiring process heightens
vulnera"ility to force la"or in several clear !ays& excessive recruitment fees leaing
to e"t "onage; eception a"out :o" salary an :o" type resulting in having to !or
longer an harer an H "ecause of e"t.
I"(ia" c&il( la)o*+ i+a'io"/1/200
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So*+c!/ Fo*"(!( i" 125 '&! Associa'io" o+ S'i*la'i" 4"o;/Ho; -AS4 is o"! o
'&! !; "o"/p+oi' o+a"i?a'io"s i" I"(ia
C&il( La)o+ a"( '&! Ga+!"' I"(*s'+3 i" Ba"la(!s&.
ccoring to the anglaesh ureau of Statistics 'a"or ?orce Survey 7199084 there are *.$
million 10 to 1# year ol chilren !oring in anglaesh. nother estimate puts the num"er
at 1* million. /early all the chil la"or in export inustries is foun in the garment inustry.
,he garment inustry4 incluing those enterprises proucing accessories for finishe
garments4 is !ithout ou"t the most significant inustry in anglaesh !hich utili5es chil
la"or an exports to the Dnite States. %t is also a relatively young inustry4 esta"lishe in
19$$ an evelope rapily after 19)3. %n 19934 anglaesh exporte nearly W$*0 million in
apparel to the Dnite States. ,he garment inustryKs main proucts inclue shirts4 trousers4
:acets4 ,- shirts4 shorts4 an "riefs. (arment !orers mae sports caps an s!eat suits for
export to the Dnite States.
Estimates vary on the total num"er of factories an !orers in the garment inustry. 6ne
estimate puts the figures at 14*00 factories an over $004000 !orers4 of !hom $* to 90
percent are !omen. Representatives of the garment factories locate in an aroun
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exist in the garment inustry. Some estimates suggest that the num"er of chil garment
!orers may "e near **4000.
une 199# report of the %nternational Confeeration of ?ree ,rae Dnions lists the
percentage as ranging from 20 to #0 percent. Recent o"servations mae uring site visits "y
D.S.
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P+o+as a"( Eo+'s 'o A((+!ss C&il( La)o+ Ba"la(!s& P!+sp!c'i9!
%n the past year or t!o4 there has "een significant action taen "y the (overnment of
anglaesh4 the (E4 international organi5ations4 an /(6s to create solutions an
alternatives for chil !orers. %n its !ritten testimony to the D.S.
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Chil 'a"or @ro:ect to eliminate chil la"or in the 24*00 mem"er factories4 an to provie an
alternative to former chil la"orers in the form of an eucation program. %n 199*4 the
(E4 %'64 an D/%CE? entere into a emoranum of Dnerstaning 7oD8 to serve
as a "asis for the implementation of the Chil 'a"or @ro:ect.
,he first component of the Chil 'a"or @ro:ect !as the provision of three years of informal
eucation for former chil !orers !ith the goal of mainstreaming them into the formal
anglaeshi eucational system. ,hrough the course of the pro:ect4 D/%CE? an t!o non-
governmental organi5ations create 3*3 schools for this in !hich over 94$#0 chilren ha
enrolle "efore ay 199).
,he secon part of the pro:ect4 the monitoring an verification system4 !as esta"lishe to
gain an unerstaning of the extent to !hich chil la"or !as use in anglaeshi garment
factories an to monitor progress to!ar the elimination of the practice. ,he %'6 traine
inspectors to avise factory o!ners an managers a"out the "enefits of the @ro:ect an the
nee to en chil la"or.
,he success of the Chil 'a"or @ro:ect in anglaesh has le to the implementation of
moifie versions of this pro:ect "y the %'6 in @aistan4 East sia4 frica4 an Central
merica. Similar to the (E version4 the ne! applications of the pro:ect all com"ine
social protection programs for former chil !orers an their families !hich are
implemente "y local /(6s !ith a monitoring system run "y the %'6. ,he ne! pro:ects
focus specifically on the coffee an commercial agricultural inustries. ,he lessons learne
"y the organi5ations involve in the anglaeshi pro:ect have le to the elimination of the
monthly stipen payment for ex-chil !orers "ecause of the cost involve an the relate
lac of sustaina"ility of that component of the pro:ect.
,he Chil 'a"or @ro:ect in anglaesh face a couple of challenges in its implementation.
?irst4 once chilren reach age 1#4 they can legally !or an so4 to encourage them to stay in
school there !as a nee to continue proviing a stipen. ,his increase the costs of the
pro:ect Auestions arose a"out the sustaina"ility of such an approach. nother important
consieration in implementing this type of pro:ect is the importance of the role playe "y
employers in this process.
C&il( A"( *9!"il! La)o+/ #a+io*s Ac's R!la'!( To I"(ia
C&il( La)o+-P+o&i)i'io" A"( R!*la'io"Ac' -1
,he act replace the Employment of Chilren ct 7193)8 !hich lai out ha5arous !or for
chilren in the %nian context an prohi"ite the involvement of chilren uner the age of 1#
in any of these occupations. ,he Chil 'a"or @rohi"ition an Regulation ct 7C'@R8 ae
construction to the list of ha5arous activities for chilren; "anne the employment of
chilren uner 1* years of age; esta"lishe the conitions uner !hich chilren over 1* may
!or; an set out penalties for the violation of any of the a"ove conitions.
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'oopholes in the legislation inclue the exemption of chil la"or !ithin family-"ase !or4
agriculture4 an the informal sector4 uman Rights =atch has note that the clause
ientifying all !or carrie out at government-sponsore schools as non-harmful is also a
serious gap4 as many any carpet !eaving training centers are run uner government auspices.
T&! App+!"'ic! Ac'-11
%t permits parents to enter their chilren age 1# years or oler into employment for learning
purposes. %t provies some protections for them4 incluing the prohi"ition of payment "y
piece-rate4 an also lists certain inustries in !hich they may not !or.233 ,his la! may "e
use to fill loopholes on age or !oring conitions left "y the ?actories or Chil 'a"or cts
or to ientify those cases in !hich chilren are frauulently classifie as apprentices !hen
they are really "one la"orers.
*9!"il! *s'ic!-ca+! a"( p+o'!c'io" o c&il(+!"ac'-2000
,his act amens the uvenile ustice ct of 19). %n contrast to other %nian la!s for thepurposes of this ct a chil is efine as any person uner 1) years of age. ,his act oes not
eal specifically !ith la"or rights or protections; rather it provies for the protection an
reha"ilitation of neglecte chilren an :uveniles an esta"lishes that traffice chilren are
eligi"le for these "enefits. %t also reiterates that either the trafficing or hiring of a traffice
or "one la"orer is punisha"le.
C&il(+!"-Pl!(i" O La)o+Ac'-1
Dner this la!4 any intermeiary4 incluing contractors4 employers or parents4 !ho uses or
promises to provie chil la"or can "e prosecute.23 ,his restriction is lifte for any
agreement not etrimental to the chil or that is of less than t!o !ees in length. =eanesses
in the la! inclue the interpretive efinition of etrimentalF an the lo! fees for violations
7Rs.*0 for parents an Rs.200 for contractors an employers8.
T&! T!a Dis'+ic's Ei+a'io" La)o+ Ac'-12
,he ct prohi"its the migration of chilren for la"or unless accompanie "y their parents or
guarian.
T&! Pla"'a'io"s La)o+ Ac'-11contains restrictions on the employment of chilren to no
more than 2$ hours per !ee4 none of !hich may "e uring night hours. %t also maes
o"ligatory the provision of eucational4 housing4 meical4 an other "enefits.
D!l&i P+ia+3 E(*ca'io" Ac'-10
Section 1# of this ct4 !hich applies to the
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C&il( La)o*+ a"( p+!9!"'io" I"(ia" p!+sp!c'i9!
%nia has not ratifie %'6 Convention /o. 13)4 the inimum ge Convention or Convention
/o. 1)24 the =orst ?orms of Chil 'a"our Convention. ,he Constitution of %nia states that
no chil "elo! the age of 1# years shall "e employe to !or in any factory or mine or
engage in any other ha5arous employment 7rticle 2#8. %n this !ay4 although Convention
/o. 1)2 on the =orst ?orms of Chil 'a"our sets the minimum age for ha5arous !or at 1)
years of age4 the minimum age for ha5arous !or in %nia is 1# years ol. Constitutional
rticle #* stipulates that the State shall eneavour to provie free an compulsory eucation
for all chilren up to the 1#th year of age. o!ever4 the Constitutional provision !as never
implemente an school enrolment rates remain lo!.
Chil la"our is a matter on !hich "oth the central an state governments can legislate.
num"er of legislative initiatives have "een unertaen at "oth levels. 6ne of them is the Chil'a"our 7@rohi"ition an Regulation8 ct of 19)4 !hich prohi"its the employment of
chilren "elo! the age of 1# years in 13 occupations an *$ processes ha5arous to
chilren>s lives an health. nother is the ?actories ct of 19#)4 !hich prohi"its the
employment of chilren "elo! the age of 1# years in factories. n aolescent age "et!een
1* an 1) years can "e employe in a factory only after o"taining a certificate of fitness from
an authorise meical octor. ,he ct also prescri"es a maximum of four an a half hours of
!or per ay for chilren age "et!een 1# an 1) years an prohi"its !or uring night
hours. nother la! "ans omestic !or an restaurant an hotel !or "y chilren younger
than 1#.
(overnmental sources sho! that there are 1.# million !oring chilren "et!een * an 1#
years ol. o!ever4 /(6 estimations consier the num"er to "e "et!een ** an )$ million.
ost of the chilren !or in agriculture an perform informal economic activities4 such as
omestic servitue. Chilren can "e foun in a !ie variety of inustries4 sometimes
unertaing ha5arous tass4 incluing in mining an Auarrying4 textiles4 leather an garment
factories4 fire!ors factories an many others. @articular pro"lems are notice in carpet
prouction4 see prouction4 textiles4 circuses4 "ric ilns an mills4 among others. any
chilren !or in agriculture. 2009 :oint D/%CE?-%GE initiative ientifie 2004000
chilren "elo! the age of 1# !oring in the cotton plantation inustry in nhra @raeshproucing hy"ri cottonsees.
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,he la! oes not sufficiently protect chilren from forms of la"our that are illegal uner the
core %'6 Conventions. ,he la!s are not !ell enforce an chil la"our4 incluing its !orst
forms4 is prevalent.
?orce 'a"our %nia ratifie %'6 Convention /o. 294 the ?orce 'a"our Convention in 19*#4an Convention /o. 10*4 the "olition of ?orce 'a"our Convention4 in 2000. rticle 23 of
the Constitution prohi"its trafficing in human "eings an force la"our. ,hese crimes are
prosecute uner various provisions "oth in the %nian @enal Coe an in the %mmoral ,raffic
7@revention8 ct of 19*. ,he one 'a"our System 7"olition8 ct of 19$ prescri"es
three years imprisonment for forcing !orers into la"our4
!hich is consiere an insufficient penalty for eterring the crime. ,he la! esta"lishes
vigilance an monitoring committees at state level to assist the courts in ensuring the proper
enforcement of the la!. ,he inistry of ome ffairs implements a Comprehensive
Scheme for Strengthening 'a! Enforcement Response in %niaF aime at improving overall
la! enforcement incluing 11 on cases of trafficing an "one la"our. Dner the la! )$
ne! nti-,rafficing Dnits !ere esta"lishe.
?orce la"our an trafficing in human "eings are prohi"ite "y la!. o!ever4 force la"our
is a pro"lem in agriculture4 mining4 commercial sexual exploitation4 an other sectors.
6verall la! enforcement is poor an :uicial capacities are not effective in aressing the
pro"lem.
S*!s'i9! M!as*+!s
1. +arious la!s shoul "e amene so that pu"lic sector !orers fully en:oy the rights to
organise4 collective "argaining an strie against the !ar against chil la"ourers.
2. legal o"ligation for employers of the private sector to recognise registere trae unions
an to engage in collective "argaining shoul "e esta"lishe. ,he la! shoul explicitly
prohi"it employers from esta"lishing an recognising company unions or L!orers>
committees> aime at avoiing representational unions. Employers !ho have esta"lishe such
Lunions> shoul "e prosecute. Such unions shoul !or against chil la"our.
3. ,he government shoul a"olish the excessive reAuirement of 100 !orers for forming a
union in orer to comply !ith international la"our legislation.
#. ,he ,rae Dnions ct shoul "e mae applica"le in Siim.
*. feeral essential services list shoul "e set an inclue only those services the
interruption of !hich !oul enanger the life4 personal safety or health of the !hole or part
of the populationF4 as provie for uner the %'6 efinition.
. @enalties for unertaing inustrial action4 incluing stries4 shoul "e a"olishe !herethey violate the relevant international la"our conventions.
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$. ,he police shoul respect the right to peaceful assem"ly an la"our activists shoul
not "e arreste for pursuing legitimate activities.
). ,he excessive #*-ay strie notice perio reAuire in E@s shoul "e remove. ,he /e!s scope shoul "e extene to cover family farms or family
"usinesses.
1. ,he government must ensure implementation of Constitutional rticle #* !hich stipulates
that the State shall eneavour to provie free an compulsory eucation for all chilren up to
the 1#th year of age.
1$. n anti-trafficing la! prohi"iting all forms of human trafficing shoul "e enacte. ,he
government shoul aopt clear official proceures for recognising trafficing victims an
increase the effectiveness of its anti-trafficing an force la"our mechanisms an la!
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enforcement. %t shoul increase the funs for trafficing an force la"our victims an
provie assistance of "etter Auality.
1). ,here must "e 5ero tolerance of traitional forms of slavery; the state nees to tae action
to raise a!areness an enforce the la! on force la"our in areas !here the pro"lem persists.Sentences uner the one 'a"our System 7"olition8 ct nee to "ecome much stricter.
19. @enal Coe articles that impose penalties incluing the o"ligation to !or as
punishment for the expression of political vie!s or vie!s ieologically oppose to the
esta"lishe system nee to "e repeale or amene. ,he provisions of the 6fficial Secrets ct
that prescri"e imprisonment sentences involving compulsory la"our shoul "e amene to
remove such penalty.
20. %n general4 the government shoul "uil up its la! enforcement an :uicial capacities in
orer to monitor an fully enforce la"our la!s4 incluing legislation on violations of trae
union rights4 iscrimination4 chil la"our an force la"our an trafficing. ,he 'a"our
%nspectorate nees to receive aitional funing an its inspectors nee to "e provie !ith
necessary training.
21. ,he =,6 shoul ra! the attention of the %nian authorities to the commitments they
unertoo to o"serve core la"our stanars at the Singapore an
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RECOMMENDATIONS A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Co"s*!+s
@ic your cotton carefully& Refuse to "uy cotton proucts !ithout the certain no!lege an
assurance from the retailer that they have "een prouce !ithout causing environmental
estruction or human rights a"use H specifically chil la"our.Call upon manufacturers an retailers to provie this assurance4 an s!iftly evelop a clear
la"elling system that states the country of origin of the cotton fi"re4 an guarantees that
neither chil nor force la"our is use at any stage of the supply chain.
Choose proucts that have "een inepenently certifie as organic or ?airtrae4 or choose
recycle cotton proucts !herever possi"le.
R!'ail!+sT+a(!+s
Colla"orate !ith manufacturers4 /(6s an local proucers to evelop an effective4
transparent prouct la"elling system that guarantees that force chil la"our has not "een
use at any stage of the supply chain4 an that sho!s the country of origin of the cotton fi"re.
Dnertae an inepenent revie! of cotton suppliers4 an see assurances that the cotton is
prouce in accorance !ith international la"our norms. =hen assurances cannot "e
provie4 alternative suppliers shoul immeiately "e sought.
Engage !ith civil-society groups in :oint efforts to improve !oring conitions an
remuneration on cotton farms.
ctively support an move to!ar organic an fairly trae cotton4 there"y responing to
maret eman !hile stimulating prouction an supply. European Dnion an its em"ers
promulgate a regulation prohi"iting the import into the ED of cotton an cotton-relate
proucts that have "een prouce using chil la"our.
RECOMMENDATIONS GO#ERNMENT PERSPECTI#E
Go9!+"!"'s
?ully implement %'6 Convention an the Elimination of the =orst ?orms of Chil 'a"our;
ahere to the D/ Convention on the Rights of the Chil.
Support inepenent investigations of la"our a"uses. @rovie an ena"ling environment for
inepenent inustry an la"our rights "oies to monitor an report on la"our conitions in
the cotton sector.=or !ithin the frame!or of the =orl ,rae 6rgani5ation 7=,68 to
38
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introuce conitions on trae that !oul penalise manufacturers an proucers !ho use or
tolerate chil la"our.
Consier incentive-"ase reforms4 such as proviing non-iscriminatory su"siies to farmers
!ho can emonstrate that they o not use chil la"our4 there"y shifting the competitiveavantage to responsi"le proucers. ,he ED @arliamentary Resolution calling for an en to
exploitation an chil la"our in eveloping countries. ,he @arliament shoul consier
eveloping a regulation to mae this ED la!.(uarantee that the %nternational gricultural
@artnership4 "et!een %'64 ?64 Consultative (roup on %nternational gricultural Research
7C(%R8Y%nternational ?oo @olicy Research %nstitute 7%?@R%84 %nternational ?eeration of
gricultural @roucers 7%?@8 an %nternational Dnion of ?oo4 gricultural4 otel4
Restaurant4 Catering an ,o"acco an llie =orers> ssociation 7%D?8 recognises cotton as
a central issue4 an acts to tacle chil la"our in cotton prouction.
%nternational %nvestment ouses4 ans an ?oreign %nvestors
See specific assurances that investment portfolios are not supporting manufacturers or
retailers of cotton proucts that have involve chil la"our at any stage of the supply
chain.Support civil-society efforts to increase transparency in cotton procurement.
%nternational Cotton visory Committee 7%CC8 .%nstigate a process of assessment !here"y
the social an environmental impacts of cotton prouction are evaluate for each mem"er
state4 an finings mae pu"lic to investors an importers.Support the evelopment of a
glo"al la"elling scheme that guarantees that proucts have "een prouce !ithout the use of
chil or force la"our at each stage of the supply chain an prouction process. s a
minimum reAuirement4 !or to ensure that the procurement an sale of cotton fi"re orproucts on the open maret "e accompanie "y the country-specific information
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BIBLIOGRAPH$
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203 (overnment of the Repu"lic of %nia. inistry of 'a"or. Contract 'a"or in %nia4
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\la"our.nic.inYgl!YSession#1of%'C.oc]. Retrieve 6cto"er 2009_.
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