Ending Child Labor

Everyone wants child labor to end.  No one wants children to work instead of going to school.  These innocent children are like angles gifted from god, they need care and love.  Children has right to get education and being loved because they are our future and we all want our future to be safe.  We should give them love as much as we can because they don’t know what is right or wrong.  We have to be their guidance for their better future.

There are many groups, who are working against child labor and want to stop it.  Unions and grassroots are getting to know the connection between workers rights and fighting against child labor.  Groups are recognizing that children are being violated; trade union is joining with families and community organizations to fight child labor, to move children out of work and put them into school, and to support core labor standards.  These children deserve to be in school and this cannot be possible if family does not support them.  Family is the biggest support any child could ever have.  Family supports give children courage and confidence in them.  Many workers and unions in the U.S. and other countries are supporting efforts to end child labor by forging alliances with unions in other countries. These alliances work to achieve enforceable global labor standards, such as ILO Convention 182, and hold transnational companies accountable for labor practices. (Child Labor Public Education Project, 2000)

People want to fight against child labor and they are fighting for it but everyone have different way to deal with child labor.  In 2001 factory monitors confirmed illegal union busting and other violations including employment of 13-15 year-old children at a Mexican factory sewing clothing with university logos for Nike and other U.S. companies. Thousands of American students, workers, and consumers wrote letters to corporate CEO's protesting worker treatment. The international solidarity campaign helped factory workers overcome violence, intimidation, and mass firings when they tried to organize, and after months of struggle, workers won an independent union. (Child Labor Public Education Project, 2000)  In U.S. factories has age limit for workers but in other countries it is different.  It should change because it is not good for children future. 

There are organizations in other countries, helping children to get their rights back.  The International Labor Rights Fund and other groups have begun pursuing legal action against companies for alleged labor abuses in other countries. In 1996, for example, ILRF filed a suit against Unocal for using slave labor to build pipelines in Burma; and with the support of U.S. labor unions, ILRF recently filed a suit against Coca-Cola for using paramilitary forces to suppress organizing and assassinate union leaders in Colombia. If effective, this strategy could be used in the future to hold transnational corporations accountable for child labor abuses. (Child Labor Public Education Project, 2000)  These organizations need to take strong action against people who are making children work in their factories.  These children are not their slaves and they have no right to take advantage of their poverty. 

To get children out of child labor they need to be pushed towards education.  I think education is a good way to make these children better human being and education can help reduce child labor.  In small countries families cannot afford education and because of that they make their children work.  Education should be free in every country so children would be more attractive towards education than work.  Union in Bangladesh called “Bangladesh Building and Woodworkers’ Federation and the Metal Workers’ Union”, this organization helps promotes education to children and stop them from working.  This organization helps children to enroll in schools.  There should be more organization like this in other countries as well to end child labor.  (Child Labor Public Education Project, 2000)

University of Iowa Labor Center, (2000), “Child Labor Public Education Project”, retrieved April 27^th, 2011.  http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/ending.html

           

Health Issues

          Adults and children have different working conditions. These conditions are safe and healthy for adults but may not be safe for the children because of the physical differences.  Children are not physically developed as adults.   Children have different stages of development which slowly build up throughout their adolescent age.  There is a higher risk to children during their development years and it can effect long term.  Children being very delicate because their bones, tissues, brain, should not be working.  If we put heavy work load on these children it can affect their health and growth, this can be harmful for them in future.  Children bodies do not give permission to do heavy work because they are still growing and developing.     These children do not work for few hours but they work constantly over eight hours.  They do not have any choice than to work and not think about their health.  

         

           There are many risk factors that can harm children due to heavy work load.  1) Bones grow during adolescent age and heavy lifting can damage these bones.  These damages increased risk in future injuries.  2) Development of organs and tissues at adolescent age can be effect by the exposure of chemicals; this can risk the brain development.  3) Studies have shown that working in noisy environment can risk of hearing loss.  Mostly children work in factories where there is a lot of noise.  Noise environment is designed for adults not for children because it is harmful for them.  4) At the age of adolescent children need food and rest.  They need all types of nutrition, which help them to grow healthier.  Children work long hours and they do not get enough sleep.  Children need more sleep than adult.  Lack of sleep gives dark circles, it is unhealthy, and children become more lazy.  5) Children tend to absorb more chemicals than adults.  Exposure to the chemical is more harmful to the children.  These chemicals can be found in their blood and tissues.  6) “Young Children have lower heat tolerance than adults, in part because their sweat glands are developing.” (Child Labor and Health: Adult Education Workshop, 2000).  Adults can tolerate the heat and the work environment in designed according to adults but it can cause heat stress to the children. 

        

          There are many other risk factors and poverty is one of them.  Children who do not have money are more likely to work at high risk places.  For example, agriculture, mining, and construction.  Children work hard in these types of places because they need more money.  Poverty related health problems, for example, malnutrition, fatigue, and anemia can increase the risks of permanent disabilities and premature death.  Children have to deal with these problems because they have no option to earn money. 

          

          Agriculture is very hard work.  There is so much force involved.  Most undeveloped countries do not have machines to use for agriculture but instead they have workers.  In countries like India or Pakistan, low income people work in farms.  Children work with their parents.  Each year millions of children die working in farms.  The cause of death can be heat, heavy equipment, use of force, lack of food and sleep.  These risk factors are harmful for children. 

“Surveys in 26 countries, by the International Labor Organization (ILO), found that almost one in four economically active children suffered injuries or illnesses while working.” (Child Labor and Health: Adult Education Workshop, 2000)

“Studies in the United States find that working youth appear to have injury rates almost twice as high as adult workers. Among injured young workers in the U.S., 16-17 year olds and adolescent males appear to suffer the highest number of work-related injuries.” (Child Labor and Health: Adult Education Workshop, 2000)

 Reference

U.S. Department of Labor, Report on the Youth Labor Force, (June 2000). “Child Labor and Health: Adult Education Workshop”.  Retrieved April 11^th, 2011.  http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/materials/documents/clpephealthhandouts.pdf

Cause of Child Labor

There are many reasons that cause child labor but one of the important reasons is poverty.  Poverty plays big role in child labor.  Parents force their children into work because of many reasons and they even know it is wrong.  Some of the reasons parents make their children to do work is, lack of food, no shelter, and no clothes.   Poor families don’t have enough money to give their children education.  Since children don’t get education, they end up working and make themselves useful to the family. Some parents believe that more children they have; there are more chances of their survival. Even though children don’t get pay a lot but they have big contribution in family income. 

The other reason that causes child labor is uneducated parents.  Uneducated parents don’t know the importance of schooling.  Education helps develop the mind and personality of a child but these parents are unaware of this.  They are unaware because they haven’t been to school and never got education.  Some parents think that their children can make their future by working not instead of getting education.  But there are other parents who want to educate their children but they don’t have enough money to give them education.  So they drop out their children from school and those children end up working.  In India largest population of juvenile end up working because 82 million children are not in school.  (Weiner, 1991) School gives guidance to the children and makes them realize what they are capable of.  School guide children into the right direction and also help them realize the importance of them in this society.

In India there is high percentage of girls being dropped out of school because they have to cook, clean and take care of the siblings.  Girls that dropped out of school are from grade 4^th and 5^th. (Nita, 2007) They are not allowed to get education but instead they are used for house stuff.  Both of the parents go out to work and girls have to take care of the house. 

The other reason for child labor is that children want to go to school but they don’t have enough money to pay for their education.  These children came from poor family background.  These families cannot afford education.  To get education, these children work and go to school at the same time.  They want to get education and reach their goals. They know without education they can’t fulfill their wishes.

Siddiqi, Faraaz. “Child Labor: Issues, Causes and Interventions”, Retrieved March 15^th, 2011.  http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1099079877269/547664-1099079934475/547667-1135281552767/Child_Labor_issues.pdf

Nita. (2007), “The Root Cause of Child Labor isn’t just poverty”, Retrieved March 15^th, 2011. http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/root-cause-of-child-labour-is-not-just-poverty/