ABCs of Child Labor…15 products touched by child labor and child slavery. How many do you use?
News & Resources
Farmworkers Need Heat Protections – I Know Because I Grew up Working in the Fields
By Luz Vazquez-Hernandez
Intern, Child Labor Coalition
Coming from a background of farmwork, I know the struggle against heat. At 14 years old, I began, picking blueberries in Michigan during the summer…
U.S.DOL News Release: U.S. Department of Labor Announces 2024 Iqbal Masih Award Winners; Recipients in Egypt, Ghana Lauded for Contributions to End Child Labor
News Release/June 5, 2024 [from USDOL]
Wadi El Nil Association, Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe recognized for stellar efforts
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the recipients of the 2024…
Facts about Human Trafficking in Commemoration of World Day Against Human Trafficking, July 30, 2024
There are nearly 28 million victims of human trafficking worldwide, up from 24.9 million in 2016. (Women on Guard, International Labour Organization)
According to 2022 estimates, 49.6 million people are living in “modern…
10 Facts about Women and Girls (2024)
Of the 160 million children trapped in child labor, 63 million are girls. [source]
29 million women and girls are in modern slavery—71 percent of the overall total of enslaved individuals. [source]
Women represent…
U.S. DOL obtains order to force Los Angeles-area meat processor, staffing agency to give up $327,000 in profits from oppressive child labor
USDOL News Release June 25, 2024
Investigation revealed children working dangerous jobs, unlawful hours
CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in a federal court…
CLC’s Reid Maki joins America’s Workforce Union Podcast for World Day Against Child Labor
Listen to the podcast by clicking here.
[From America's Workforce Union Podcast]
In honor of World Day Against Child Labor, Reid Maki, the director of child labor issues and coordinator of the Child Labor…
2024 Domestic Child Labor Bills the Child Labor Coalition endorses:
Bills to increase fines:
R. 2956 -- "Combating Child Labor Act" by Rep. Kildee (D-MI) 42 cosponsors as of 4/16/2024
R. 2388 --- "Justice for Exploited Children Act of 2023" by Rep. Scholten (D-MI)
7 cosponsors…
Shareholders demand McDonald’s and Wendy’s tackle child labor problems.
[Via The Washington Post, May 9, 2024]
Citing work by The Washington Post, shareholders are asking the companies for a zero-tolerance policy at their franchises.
"A group of powerful investment managers and public treasurers…
USDOL Press Release: DOL Fines Children Employed Illegally in Dangerous Jobs, Obtains $4.8M in Wages, Damages for Poultry Industry Workers in California
[May 2, 2024]
Investigation finds 14-year-old children using razor-sharp deboning knives
WASHINGTON – In one of the largest wage violation settlements ever reached for U.S. poultry workers, a federal court in Los…
USDOL Press Release: Tennessee Cleaning Firm Fined $649,000 in Child Labor Penalties; Kids, as Young as 13, Cleaned Killing Floor and Machinery
Investigations found 24 children, some just 13 years old, doing dangerous work in Iowa, Virginia
SIOUX CITY, IA – The Department of Labor has entered into a consent order and judgment, approved by a federal court in…
Seven Child Labor Best Practices for Employers from U.S. DOL
From the U.S. Department of Labor....
Train Management
Train supervisors and managers on child labor requirements. Our fact sheets provide guidance on nonagricultural occupations and farm…
Press Release: National Consumers League condemns legislation in Florida that preempts local ordinances to protect workers from heat exposure
March 15, 2024/in Child labor, Labor, Press release, Statement, Uncategorized, Workers' Rights, Workplace safety child labor, forced labor, press relases, press release, press releases press_releases, workers_rights Press…
Child Labor Coalition welcomes the Senate Introduction of the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety Act of 2024 (CARE Act)
Press Release
March 25, 2024
Media contact: National Consumers League – Reid Maki, reidm@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2820
Washington, DC – With the beginning of Farmworker Awareness Week today, the Child…
Child Labor Coalition lauds Wage and Hour’s child labor enforcement strategies that include creating a fund for victims and use of “hot goods” provisions
March 27, 2024
Media contact: National Consumers League/Child Labor Coalition – Reid Maki, reidm@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2820
Washington, DC – The Child Labor Coalition (CLC), representing 37 groups…
The Guardian: “How child labour in India makes the paving stones beneath our feet”
"Despite promises of reform, exploitation remains endemic in India's sandstone industry, withchildren doing dangerous work for low pay --often to decorate driveways and yards thousands of miles away."
By Romita Saluja…
Filmmaker SusanMacLaury: Protections For Farmworker Children Matter More Than Ever (Link to Free Film Screening during the last week of March 2024))
By Susan MacLaury, March 23, 2024 –
In 2010, Shine Global released the feature-length documentary, The Harvest (La Cosecha), about three young migrant farmworkers – Zulema, Perla and Victor -who traveled…
Senator Luján Press Release: During Ag Week, Luján Introduces Legislation to Improve Child Protections and Safety Standards for Agriculture Industry
Press Release/March 21, 2024
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment in Agriculture (CARE) Act to ensure child protections and…
“Oakland Popeyes operator to pay huge sum to feds after allegedly hiring kids as young as 13”
To view "Oakland Popeyes operator to pay huge sum to feds after allegedly hiring kids as young as 13" in the S.F. Chronicle, please click here.
NY Times: “Children Risk Their Lives Building America’s Roofs
"In New Orleans, Juan Nasario said he had been replacing roofs during 12-hour shifts nearly every day since he arrived from Guatemala four years ago, when he was 10. He would like to go to school or at least join a soccer team, but he needs to pay rent to his older cousin."
Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Bill to Help USDOL Build Its Labor Inspectorate
[The following is a press release from Rep. McGarvey's office dated December 06, 2023]
Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Labor Rights Violations
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 06, 2023) – Today,…
The Guardian: “‘It Should Never Have Happened’: death of boy, 16, at sawmill highlights rise of child labour in US”
Please read the Nov. 28th, 2023 Guardian piece, which quotes the Child Labor Coalition, here:
https://tinyurl.com/2cy4yn65
Excerpt:
"One of the problems with this whole debate is that legislators extol the value…
Press Release: Schatz, Young Introduce New Legislation to Help Stop Child Labor
[We're sharing here a Press Release by Senator Schatz, 10/20/2023]
Schatz, Young Introduce New Legislation to Help Stop Child Labor
Bipartisan Bill Establishes New Criminal Penalties, Imposes New Steep Fines For Employers…
The CLC’s Reid Maki on the “Chad and Cheese” Podcast talks about the domestic child labor crisis
Please listen to the October 2023 Chad and Cheese podcast here.
“Last Week Tonight” with HBO’s John Oliver takes aim at rampant child labor in the production of chocolate
Chocolate: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) [Aired 10/30/2023].
Watch here:
https://tinyurl.com/4sxby7xc
The New York Times Magazine tells the riveting story of 14-year-old poultry worker Marcos and the traumatic injury he suffered
Marcos was maimed while working the overnight cleaning shift at a Perdue slaughterhouse in rural Virginia--another amazing exposé New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier.
Please follow this link to the story which was published…
See how your state child labor laws match up with other states in this nifty chart frp, U.S. DOL looking at allowable hours worked
U.S. Department of Labor's clickable map of the U.S. allowing users to compare their state's child labor hour restrictions with other states.
Click this link to view.
U.S. DOL News Release: Court orders operators of 14 Bay Area Subway locations to pay employees nearly $1M in wages, damages; sell or shut down their businesses
News Release/U.S. DOL/September 29, 2023
Labor Department finds employers endangered children, bounced paychecks, stole tips
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has ordered…
The CLC’s Reid Maki joins America’s Workforce Union Podcast in a segment called “Child Labor in America on the Rise as States Weaken Labor Protections:”
Please listen to the podcast and Reid's discussion of alarming child labor trends in the U.S. here:
https://tinyurl.com/dta889h
Opinion: Revisiting American Exceptionalism in LIght of Child Labor Scandals
CLC-member Shawn MacDonald, CEO of Verité, exams current U.S. child labor scandals against the context of global child labor.
Child Labor Personal Experience: Growing Up in the Fields
by Jacqueline Aguilar, Child Labor Coalition intern
I grew up in a small rural area named Center, Colorado which has a population of about 2,000 people. Growing up my parents were always working in the fields,…
10 Facts About Refugees in 2023
June 20th is World Refugee Day. To highlight the challenges refugees face worldwide, especially issues that affect children, we have compiled a quick fact sheet to inform people on this worldwide day of recognition.
There…
Amazing, must-listen podcast….“Why Are States Loosening Child Labor Laws?” –New York Times child labor reporter Hannah Dreier and the CLC’s Norma Flores López on Roy Woods Jr. video podcast, “Beyond the Scenes – The Daily Show”
Amazing, must-listen podcast….
“Why Are States Loosening Child Labor Laws?” --New York Times child labor reporter Hannah Dreier and the CLC’s Norma Flores López on Roy Woods Jr. video podcast, “Beyond…
Joint Letter by Humanity United, Child Labor Coalition, and Valued Partners: Urgent Action Needed to Protect Children from Labor Exploitation
May 1, 2023
As organizations working to address human trafficking and labor exploitation, we are appalled by the horrific conditions children experienced after fleeing to the United States for refuge. This series in the…
U.S. DOL News Release: Three McDonald’s Franchises in Kentucky Pay $212,000 in Fines after Federal Investigations Find 305 Minors — Including 10-year-olds — Working Illegally
USDOL News Release May 2, 2023
Louisville-area franchisees employed minors to work later, longer than law permits
LOUISVILLE, KY – Working in a kitchen late at night near dangerous cooking equipment is a reality…
Iowa’s Child Labor Bill Turns Priorities Upside Down
By Mike Owen, Common Good Iowa
Posted on February 9, 2023 at 12:01 PM by Mike Owen
A new proposal in the Iowa Legislature turns Iowa priorities and values upside down. At a time we are doing too little for economic…
Do Children in America Ever Work in Deplorable, Dangerous, Dickensian Conditions? The Short Answer is “Yes” — The Child Labor Coalition’s Top Ten U.S. Child Labor Developments in 2022
By Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition
Most Americans are unaware that the U.S. still has child labor, but 2022 made it abundantly clear that we do, and stories in the news exposed conditions that were often downright…
My Path from Strawberry and Blueberry Fields to College
By Alma Hernandez
Imagine being a five-year-old child; happy and carefree. The age where you either attend pre-k or start kindergarten. But can you imagine a five-year-old working in farm fields in hot 90-degree humid weather…
US Should Protect Young Farmworkers–Lawmakers, Labor Department Need to Act
Margaret Wurth
Senior Researcher, Children's Rights Division
[This piece originally appeared on at www.hrw.org on June 13, 2022]
As the world marks another World Day Against Child Labor, US leaders…
Reflections on the “5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour” in Durban, South Africa, May 15-20, 2022
The recently-concluded, week-long “5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour” in Durban, South Africa was convened against the backdrop of the announcement last July of an alarming rise in child labor numbers…
Press Release: Child Labor Coalition Welcomes the Reintroduction of the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety 2022 (CARE Act)
For immediate release: March 31, 2022
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, D.C.—The Child Labor Coalition (CLC), representing 38 groups engaged in the fight against domestic and…
201 Organizations Endorse Legislation (CARE Act) to Close Child Labor Loopholes that Endanger the Health, Safety and Educational Development of Farmworker Children
The Child Labor Coalition is reaching out for organizational endorsements of the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety, which would end exploitative child labor in U.S. agriculture. [The bill was…
Experts: US High-Level Office for Children is Critical for Children’s Rights
Authors: Miriam Abaya, Nandita Bajaj, Warren Binford, Michelle Blake, Carter Dillard, James Dold, Hope Ferdowsian, Wendy Lazarus, Reid Maki, Shantel Meek, Jerry Milner, Jennifer Nagda, Vidya Kumar Ramanathan, Nevena Vuckovic…
The Child Labor Coalition’s letter to Wisconsin Gov. Evers, Urging Him to Veto Legislation that Would Weaken Existing Child Labor Laws
January 21, 2022
Dear Governor Evers:
The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) based in Washington, D.C., represents 38 groups who work to reduce child labor and the dangers of child work in the U.S. and abroad.…
Ending Child Labor in Mica Mines in India and Madagascar
By Katarzyna Rybarczyk
Most people use products containing mica daily, without realizing what the story behind their production is. Mica is a mineral commonly found in products such as cosmetics, paints, and electronics.…
Global Civil Society Statement on Child Labour in Cocoa, June 12th, 2021
Today, June 12th, is the International Day against Child Labour. On this day, as a large group of civil society organisations working on human rights in the cocoa sector across the world, we urgently call on chocolate &…
Ending the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers
By Katarzyna Rybarczyk
Around the world children as young as ten years old fight in armed conflicts. According to the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1999,…
Keeping Teens Safe at Work — Tips for Parents, Employers, and Teens”
Tips for parents, employers, and teens:
While work plays an important role in the development of teenagers, teens and parents should carefully think about prospective jobs that teens are considering and assess possible workplace…
CLC and Several Members Join 100 Organizations in Asking EPA to Immediately Ban the Pesticide Clorpyrifos which Damages Children’s Neurological Systems
March 5, 2021
OPP Docket # EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0850-0750 Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC) 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20460-0001
Subject:…
10 Stats about Women and Girls on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2021
Of the 152 million children trapped in child labor, 64 million are girls [source].
73 million children are trapped in hazardous child labor—27.8 million are girls.
29 million women and girls are in modern slavery—71…
New CLC Press Release: Chocolate Companies Must Do More to Reduce Widespread Child Labor Confirmed by New Report on the West African Cocoa Sector; Due Diligence Legislation is Needed to Fix Supply Chains
Chocolate Companies Must Do More to Reduce Widespread Child Labor Confirmed by New Report on the West African Cocoa Sector; Due Diligence Legislation is Needed to Fix Supply Chains
For immediate release: October…
Convention 182, Historic Commitment to End Worst Forms of Child Labor, Is Universally Ratified
Governments Pledge to Root Out Hazardous Work, but More Protections Needed
by Margaret Wurth
[Originally published at www.hrw.org on August 5, 2020]
MargaretWurtThe world reached an important milestone…
It’s Time for U.S. Tobacco Companies to Protect All Child Tobacco Workers with a Complete Ban on Children in Tobacco Fields
By Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition
In 2014, under pressure from advocacy groups like the Child Labor Coalition and Human Rights Watch (HRW) concerned about hazardous child labor on tobacco farms, several tobacco companies…
The Impact of COVID-19 on Child Labor
By Ellie Murphy, CLC Intern
Combatting child labor during a global pandemic is a staggering challenge. In countries like Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Bangladesh—and dozens more struggling with child labor problems—school…
After 20 Years of Little Results, New Approaches are Needed to End Child Labor in the Cocoa Sector
Here at the National Consumers League we are very proud that we’ve been a leader in the fight to end child labor since our founding in 1899. Thrity one years ago, we established the Child Labor Coalition (CLC), which merges…
Boy Jockeys in Indonesia Risk Injury and Death
By Reid Maki, National Consumers League and Child Labor Coalition
I didn’t quite believe my eyes when I saw the New York Times headline: “For Indonesia’s Child Jockeys, Time to Retire at 10, After 5 years of…
Children Working in Terrifying Conditions in US Agriculture — New Research Shows Child Farmworkers Unprepared for Workplace Dangers
By Margaret Wurth
Senior Researcher, Children's Rights Division, Human Rights Watch (HRW)
New research published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine reinforces just how dangerous agricultural…
Why Won’t New York’s Governor Cuomo Ban the Nasty Pesticide Chlorpyrifos which Harms Children?
Something really curious is happening in New York State. In June, the New York Assembly passed a bill to ban the nasty pesticide chlorpyrifos that damages the development of children. That’s not the weird part.…
Migrant Farmworker Children Struggle to Hold On
By Vashti Kelly, Health and Safety Program Manager, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
Children from Latino migrant farmworker families are some of the most educationally marginalized students in the…
What has happened to nurturing and protecting children?
The Child Labor Coalition is a non-partisan group that is concerned with the health and welfare of children in the U.S. and abroad. We were extremely critical of the Obama administration's decision to withdraw proposed safety…
Press Release: Rep. Roybal-Allard, 24 Cosponsors Reintroduce CARE Act to Strengthen Protections for Child Farmworkers
[Released by Rep. Roybal-Allard]
June 20, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Ben Soskin
(202) 225-1766
Benjamin.Soskin@mail.house.gov
Rep. Roybal-Allard, 24 Cosponsors Reintroduce CARE Act to Strengthen Protections…
CARE Act’s 24 Co-sponsors in the 116th Congress
The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety was introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard on June 20, 2019 with 24 original cosponsors (bold). For the goals of the CARE Act, click here.
Nanette…
The $64,000 Question: How Can Consumers Avoid Supporting Companies that Exploit Farmworkers
“Which companies are good? Which companies can I safely buy from without risk that their products are made by child labor or forced labor?” These are questions you get asked all the time when you work for a consumer…
More US Child Workers Die in Agriculture Than in Any Other Industry
New US Government Report Highlights Dangers Caused by Weak Child Labor Laws
By Margaret Wurth
More than half of work-related deaths among children in the US occur in agriculture, according to a new US government…
New GAO Report Raises Concern over the Health and Safety of Child Farmworkers in the United States
For immediate release: December 6, 2018
Contact: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC--In the wake of a new child labor report by the Government…
Child labor, Forced Labor, and Cotton and How They All Converged at the UN October 1st
Consumers love cotton. It’s soft, comfortable and natural. But cotton has a dark side: child labor and forced labor is often used to produce it.
Eighteen countries use child labor to produce cotton and…
Report Traces Goods Made with Child Labor to 76 Countries
Of the products we use, wear, or consume every day, how many are made with child labor? Perhaps quite a few. A new report from the US Department of Labor identifies 148 different consumer goods produced…
Advocate Len Morris: Children’s Rights are Human Rights
Photos found at vox.com
People around the world have been shocked and repelled by the behavior of the Trump Administration in separating children from their families at our southern border. Children…
Facts about Human Trafficking in commemoration of World Day Against Human Trafficking, July 30, 2023
There were an estimated 27.6 million victims of human.
10 Facts about Child Labor in Turkey’s Hazelnut Production
Child labor in Turkey remains prevalent. In 2012, around 900,000 children worked in Turkey. 45 percent of Child laborers worked in agriculture. Children make up to 8.5 percent of the workforce in hazelnut supply chains.
…
10 Basic Facts about Child Labor Globally
Worldwide 218 million children between 5 and 17 years are in employment; 152 million are victims of child labour.
Almost half of them, 73 million, work in hazardous child labour.
Hazardous child labour is most prevalent…
Child Soldiers
The countries identified by the US government in 2018 as using child soldiers:
Burma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Iraq,
Mali, Niger, Nigeria,
Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
American 12-Year-Olds Can’t Buy Cigarettes. Why Can They Work in Tobacco Fields?
[This op-ed appeared in The Guardian on June 28, 2018. You may view it there by clicking here.]
It’s no surprise that working in tobacco fields is dangerous. Smoking tobacco kills 6 to 7 million people a year, according…
How Climate Change Can Make More Children Vulnerable to Human Trafficking
By Colleen O'Day
Hurricane Maria, the worst natural disaster ever to hit Puerto Rico, wipes out the island’s power grid. A heat wave nicknamed Lucifer scorches southern Europe. Hurricane Harvey, the second-costliest Atlantic…
How many child workers die in the work place in the US each year?
In 2015 and 2016 we averaged 27 teen work deaths a year compared to 72.5 deaths in 1999 and 2000.
Data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries by year:
2016 = 30 (report)
2015 = 24 (report)
2014…
127 Groups Ask EPA Not to Reverse Ban on Pesticide Application by Children
Dear Administrator Pruitt:
The undersigned organizations write to oppose any changes by the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to the requirements in the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (“WPS”) and…
A Toxic Decision — How Protecting Child Farmworkers May Be Pushed Aside by the EPA
By Len Morris
America's fields, orchards and farms are toxic places for children; and things could get much worse thanks to recent actions by the Trump administration Environmental Protection Agency led by Administrator…
Child Labor Coalition joins calls for cleaner, more responsible jewelry supply chain
Press Release
February 8, 2018
Contact: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC--The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) today joins nearly 30 NGOs and trade unions…
We must not leave farmworker women out of the harassment discussion
By Norma Flores López
Today’s headlines and top hashtags are showing that a powerful movement is building, and its being led by women.
Women--fed up with the constant attack on our bodies, the sexual harassment prevalent…
Holiday Shopping? Some Strategies to Consider if you are Concerned about Child Labor and Want to Shop Responsibly
With the holidays approaching and many Americans scrambling to buy presents, we get many questions from consumers who are interested in shopping responsibly. Newly released data suggests that there are about 40 million individuals…
Teen Workers May Be Dying to Produce Sugar in Nicaragua
By Deborah Andrews, Contributing Writer
Legal protections for children working in hazardous conditions in Nicaragua are robust on paper, but systematic publicity, implementation and enforcement of the law is missing. Nicaragua…
Today is National Chocolate Day….Something to Think about When You Enjoy Some Chocolate
There’s no doubt that humans love chocolate. Globally, we consume $80 to $100 billion worth of it a year. Despite its popularity and the joy it gives us, there is a dark side to chocolate: cocoa, its main ingredient,…
CLC News Release: Legislation to Protect Child Farmworkers in the US is Re-Introduced
CHILD LABOR COALITION PRESS RELEASE
Child Labor Coalition applauds the introduction of two congressional bills to reduce dangerous child labor in U.S. agriculture
For immediate release: June 13, 2017
Contact: Reid Maki,…
For Love of Chocolate…On World Chocolate Day, We Look at the Human Cost Behind Chocolate
There’s no doubt that humans love chocolate. Globally, we consume $80 to $100 billion worth of it a year. Despite its popularity and the joy it gives us, there is a dark side to chocolate: cocoa, its main ingredient, is…
Guest Blog: To Fight the Spread of Cybersex Trafficking, Anti-trafficking Organizations Need to Innovate
Controlling the spread of human trafficking is a monumental challenge. Traffickers are innovating in the tactics that they use to exploit millions of victims, underscoring the difficulty of responding to an international…
Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi Applauds Indian Government for Ratifying Conventions 182 and 138
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi applauds Government for ratifying ILO Conventions 182 and 138; Calls it a historic step
On March 31, 2017, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi welcomed the Government of India’s decision…
International Labour Organizaton (ILO) Experts Comment on U.S. Government Efforts to Implement Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor
[Adopted in 2016 and published in 2017]
Articles 4(1), 5 and 7(1) of the Convention. Determination of types of hazardous work, monitoring mechanisms and penalties. Hazardous work in agriculture from 16 years of age. The…
How a small financial transaction tax might be used to help us end child slavery and the worst forms of child labor in the next nine years
By Reid Maki
The UN has set a very ambitious goal—one of the sustainable development goals adopted last year—of eliminating child labor, child slavery, forced child labor, and the use of child soldiers in the next nine…
CLC Press Release: 47 Members of Congress Ask President Obama to Ban Child Labor in US Tobacco before He Leaves Office
For immediate release: October 18, 2016
Contact: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—
Nearly 50 members of Congress asked President Obama to ban child labor in US tobacco…
Rep. Cicilline and 46 Members of Congress Ask President Obama to Ban Child Labor in US Tobacco
October 18, 2016
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
As you approach the final months of your term in office, we would first like to commend…
Antonement and Action for President Obama in His Last 100 Days
By Jonathan Todres
This week is Yom Kippur (Sundown, October 11 to Sundown, October 12), the Day of Atonement on the Jewish calendar. As tradition has it, atoning on Yom Kippur will address only sins against God.…
Jim Leonard Remembers Claire White, Recipient of the National Consumer League’s Florence Kelley Award
REMARKS BY JIM LEONARD AT THE
CELEBRATION OF CLAIRE WHITE’S LIFE
Jim Leonard, retired attorney with the US Department of Labor and a long-time colleague of Claire White made the following remarks at a ceremony celebrating…
Child Labor Coalition Press Release: 110 groups urge President Obama to enact an immediate ban on child labor in U.S. tobacco
For immediate release: August 3, 2016
Contact: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—A letter signed by 110 groups, representing tens of millions of Americans, is urging President…
110 Groups Urge President Obama to Ban Child Labor in US Tobacco
August 3, 2016
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
In August 2014, dozens of organizations counting millions of Americans among their members wrote to…
Len Morris: Our Kids Are Watching Us
For the first time in more than a year, Democrats and Republicans have begun to speak mistily about the prospects for our children's future.
"With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching…
Statement by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi on the passage of India’s Child Labour Amendment Bill of 2016
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016 is a missed opportunity.
I was hoping that today the elected leaders of our country will acknowledge that the value of freedom and childhood is greater…
Needed: A Champion for Children
By Len Morris
If we are to have a government worthy of the America Jimmy Stewart described in his famous role as Senator Jefferson Smith, we'll need champions in government that will protect those who are the weakest and…
Harmful Child Labor Is Everyone’s Business
Contributed by Wendy Blanpied
[This piece originally appeared on USAID's web site on Wednesday, June 15th 2016].
Two little girls reading in Pakistan. / Save the Children
“Rose,” 16, never expected to end up living…
Eradicating Child Labor in Supply Chains Requires Binding, Enforceable Standards
[This piece by CLC member Sonia Mistry of the Solidarity Center was first published on June 10th, 2016 in Thomas Reuters Foundation News.]
He was completely covered in orange dust, from his hair to his toes. Maybe 7…
CHILD LABOR COALITION PRESS RELEASE: Advocates join Nobel Laureate Satyarthi in plea to President to ratify UN Convention on Rights of the Child
For immediate release: June 13, 2016
Contact: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—With many World Day Against Child labor (officially June 12) events observed today and tomorrow…
NCL’s 2016 Five Most Dangerous Jobs For Teens
The National Consumers League’s annual guide to help working teens stay safe in the workplace
Report author: Reid Maki, Director of Child Labor Advocacy,
National Consumers League [This update issued June 2016. "The…
Conclusion of “The Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens” report and a final note
One hundred years ago, 100 workers died each day in America. Today, that number—with a U.S. population 3.5 times greater—is 13. While the loss of many manufacturing and farm jobs explains some of this drop, it doesn’t…
Recommendations to Protect Teens at Work
What can employers do to make teen work safer?
Employers must comply with child labor laws, provide safety training to young workers, follow all mandates safety regulations, and be vigilant about providing a safe workplace…
Another teen job to avoid: Jobs that present an elevated risk of violence
According to findings from the 2013 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, violence accounted for one out of every six fatal work injuries in 2013. Between 1992 and 2012, over 700 homicides a year occurred in workplaces.
Restaurants…
Another dangerous teen work activity: Driving
The most common way for a teen worker to die is in a traffic accident. In 2010, 32,708 Americans—about 90 a day—died in car accidents. Fifteen of the 34 youth workers under 18 who died in 2010—44 percent—perished…
Another dangerous teen work place: Lumber mills and lumber yards
A study in the American Journal of Health and Behavior noted that that 51 percent of surveyed teens who had worked in lumber mills had been injured. Four in 10 teens who worked in lumber yards had also been injured. These…
Another dangerous teen job: Meatpacking
In addition to the five most dangerous jobs that teens are legally allowed to perform, NCL warns working youth to avoid meatpacking jobs. Although workers are supposed to be 18 to work in these plants, federal immigration…
Another potentially dangerous teen work place: Restaurants, grocery stores, and retail stores
In terms of raw numbers, retail establishments, restaurants, and grocery stores are three of the largest employers of teen workers.
According to 2009 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 44 percent…
Another dangerous teen job: Driver/operator, forklifts, tractors, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
Forklifts, tractors, and all-terrain vehicles (ATV) pose dangers for many young workers. NCL has seen a large number of children injured in ATV accidents in the last several months (whether these are recreational accidents…
Work hazards for teens to be aware of (part of the “Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens” report)
In addition to NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs, we’d like to highlight some additional jobs that teen workers should regard with caution.
Driver/operator, forklifts, tractors, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
Forklifts,…
How are teens dying and getting injured at work?
Transportation accidents, broadly defined to include almost any moving vehicle, killed 19 of the 22 teens under 18 in the latest BLS Fatal Occupational Injuries report covering 2014. All eight of the youth workers who died…
Traveling youth crews performing door-to-door sales: A five-most-dangerous job for teens and young workers
“These schemes are nothing short of theft of the labor and the wages of hundreds, if not thousands, of young people.”
– Robert Abrams, former Attorney General of New York
The startling discovery of the remains…
A five-most-dangerous job for teens: Construction and height work
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics fatality records, construction and roofing are two of the ten most dangerous jobs in America. In 2014, 20.5 percent of all work fatalities—essentially one in five—were in construction,…
A five-most-dangerous job for teen workers: Outside helper, landscaping, tree-trimming, groundskeeping, and lawn service
Landscaping and yard work is a frequent entry point into the job market for teenagers. However, the sharp implements and machinery used to do the work present dangers for teens. Often, young workers are left unsupervised…
Agriculture: Other types of farm work—Harvesting crops and using machinery
Despite perceptions that farms are safe, wholesome places for children, farms are actually quite dangerous workplaces. They are the most dangerous workplace that large numbers of children are allowed to work, beginning at…
Tobacco harvester — A five-most-dangerous job for teens
A 12-year-old cannot legally buy cigarettes in the U.S., but they are allowed to work in a tobacco field for 10- to 12- hours a day in 100-degree heat and suffer repeated bouts of nicotine poisoning. This is legal because…
Introduction: Teens continue to get killed and hurt at work
[Section 1 of the "Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens" Report 2016]
Nearly 5,000 workers die on the job each year—each day, an average of 13 workers are killed on the job—some of those workers are teenagers. Each of…
NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Teen Jobs
The National Consumers League publishes its annual list of the Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens to help youth workers and parents understand that work often involves unexpected health and safety risks and that teenagers,…
A Better Brick: Addressing Child Labor in Nepal’s Brick-Making Industry
By Deborah Andrews
Prior to the April 2015 earthquake, Nepal was in the midst of a construction boom that was struggling to keep up with the rapidly increasing population and urbanization trends. After…
46 Groups Ask Congressional Appropriators to Fully Fund USDOL’s Child Labor Program
May 3, 2016
[This letter in support of ILAB funding was recently sent to appropriators Senator Roy Blunt and Senator Patty Murray, and Representatives Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro on behalf of 46 organizations, representing…
When is it okay for children to work? CLC-member Human Rights Watch letter on the minimum age of employment
[Human Rights Watch (HRW) released this letter on April 4th, 2016. You may view it on the HRW web site here or read it below.]
Dear members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child,
We are writing on behalf of Human…
10 Facts About the Latest Research on Child Labor in West African Cocoa Growing Areas from Tulane University:
[On July 30, 2015, Tulane University researchers released their latest study -- “Survey Research on Child Labor in West African Cocoa Growing Areas”-- we present highligths here written and compiled by Mary Donovan, contributing…
Technology in the Fight Against Trafficking: Tracking Criminals and Helping Victims
By Mary Donovan, CLC Contributing Writer
From mobile phones to big data analytics, technology can help in the fight against human trafficking. Access to a phone can enable a victim to call friends, family, or a hotline for…
10 Facts about Child Soldiers…
How do you define a ‘child soldier’? The UN Convention on the Rights of a Child (1990) defined childhood as under 18 years of age. In 1997 an International conference in Cape Town adopted the definition, “any person…
The Top 10 Child Labor Stories of 2015
by Sally Greenberg
Executive Director, National Consumers League and Co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition
[Originally published 1/6/2016 in the Huffington Post]
There were plenty of ups and downs in the fight against…
CLC PRESS RELEASE: Congress narrowly avoids shutdown of programs targeting child labor
85 million children are currently in dangerous, dirty, and degrading jobs; $53 million saved in budget deal to ensure children are protected from exploitative labor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2015
MEDIA CONTACT: Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—The Congressional budget package released today continues funding for programs to end child labor after the House and Senate voted to cut funding to the Department of Labor’s impactful and critical program in June 2015. The International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) directs the U.S. Government’s efforts to end forced labor and child labor around the world. Advocates for protecting children from child labor are thankful for Congressional leadership.
Filipino children risk death to dive and dig for gold
By Deborah Andrews, CLC Contributing Writer
In September 2015, Human Rights Watch released a report, “Phillipines: Children Risk Death to Dig and dive for Gold,” exposing the desperate working conditions of many of…
Hyatt Hotels Chain Signs ‘The Code’
By CLC Contributing Writer Mary Donovan
On December 10, 2015, Hyatt Hotels Corporation re-affirmed its efforts to fight child trafficking by signing a code of conduct known simply as “the Code.” This is a big step forward…
Child Labor Programs in Grave Danger
Despite great progress in reducing child labor, Congress is very close to cutting all of the Department of Labor’s funding for child labor grant programs. Both the House and Senate have proposed cuts in their budgets and…
Action Needed: Help Us Save the Progress on Child Labor that Has Been Made
[An important blog from CLC-member World Vision. A call to action appears further below]:
Action needed: An update from Cambodia on the fight against child labor.
We want to say thank you to our advocates. In addition to…
Making Universal Children’s Day Meaningful
by Jonathan Todres
November 20th is Universal Children's Day. The U.N. established Universal Children's Day in 1954 to create a day of “activity devoted to the promotion of the ideals and objectives of the [U.N.] Charter…
CLC Support Statement for the Restoration of Child-Labor Funding
Child Labor Coalition Statement in Support of the Restoration of
Funding for US Department of Labor’s ILAB Child-Labor Programs
The Child Labor Coalition, whose members include the following 35 groups, representing…
Press Release: Child Labor Coalition expresses concern about child and adult workers killed in recent factory collapse in Pakistan
For immediate release: November 6, 2015
Contact: Child Labor Coalition Coordinator Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820
Washington, DC—The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) laments the tragic…
Film Review: The True Cost — Film Explores the Hidden Price of Cheap Clothes
THE TRUE COST
Released 2015 | Rating: PG-13 (thematic elements and disturbing images)
Written and directed by Andrew Morgan | Produced by Michael Ross | 92 minutes
Review by Sharon L. Fawcett
One in six people on the…
Buried Childhoods — Child Labour in Mining and Quarrying
Jestoni* quit school at age 14 in order to take part in small-scale mining as a means to help support his family. They had abandoned farming for mining because of frequent flooding in their region of the Philippines.…
Artwork and Essays from Migrant Children Who Toil in U.S. Agriculture
by Madeline Daniels, First Focus Campaign for Children
“It’s a summer day, the sun is rising, and the sound of my mother’s cooking awakes me. Her meal will be enough to get us through the day that awaits us. One…
CLC and 57 Groups Urge Congress to Pass the “Children Don’t Belong in Tobacco Fields” Legislation Banning ChildLabor in US Tobacco
[Our NGO letter supports legislation to ban child labor in US tobacco fields. There is both a Senate and a House version in the current Congress--HR 1848 and S 974]
April 16, 2015
Dear Senator/Representative:
We…
NCL’s 2015 Five Most Dangerous Jobs For Teens:
Tips for Teen Workers, Parents, and Employers to Help Working Teens Stay Safe in the Work Place
The National Consumers League’s Guide, Updated Annually
Report author: Reid Maki,
Director of Child Labor Advocacy
National…
44 Groups Sign-On to CLC Letter Asking Major Tobacco Companies for Better Wages, Collective Bargaining for US Farmworkers and Expansion of the Dunlop Commission Process
[Child Labor Coalition letter mailed May 4, 2015 to Reynolds American Inc., Phillip Morris International, and British American Tobacco]
On June 24, 2014, a collection of organizations representing millions of Americans, including…
New Legislation Introduced to Protect US Children Working in Tobacco Fields –Please Call Your Member of Congress and Ask them to Support
Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Farms Act
The Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Farms Act (S.974/H.R.1848) would end the practice of children working on tobacco farms, where nicotine absorbed through the skin while handling…
The Legacy of César Chávez on César Chávez Day – How his vision inspires our work on child labor
Do you ever think about people from the past you wish you could go back in time to meet? At the top or near the top of my list is César Chávez, who was born on March 31st in 1927. César died in 1993 a few months before…
Hazardous Labor
In 2012, more than half of child laborers—85 million—are in hazardous work (down from 171 million in 2000).
Source:ILO
Latin America and the Middle East
There are 13 million (8.8%) of children in child labor in Latin America and the Caribbean
...and in the Middle East and North Africa there are 9.2 million (8.4%).
Source: ILO
Child labor among girls is falling…
Child labor among girls fell by 40% between 2000 and 2012, compared to 25% for boys.
Source: ILO
CLC-Member Human Rights Watch: No Virginia, Tobacco Fields are Not a Place for Children
By Zama Coursen-Neff, Human Rights Watch
"Are you saying my parents were stupid?"
From Virginia lawmaker Jonny Joannou, it seemed like a reasonable question. If working on the tobacco farm as a child was fine for many Virginians,…
End child labor in American tobacco fields
They are far too young to legally purchase cigarettes, yet children as young as 7 are being permitted to work in American tobacco fields and to be exposed to acute nicotine poisoning. Momentum is building to ban child…
GoodWeave’s Nina Smith on Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi–an engineer of freedom
[This article originally appeared in The Christian Science Monitor on October 21, 2014]
By Nina Smith, GoodWeave International
My long-time friend, colleague, and mentor has just been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Kailash…
The Philippines
The Philippines has 2.9 million child laborers but in its 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, USDOL said the country was making "significant" progress in dealing with the problem.
[source: h…
CLC PRESS RELEASE: Child Labor Coalition applauds progress in child labor remediation suggested by US government’s 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor
For immediate release: October 14, 2014
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC--The Child Labor Coalition (CLC), whose 34 member organizations fight exploitative child labor, welcomed news in…
CHILD LABOR COALITION PRESS RELEASE: The Child Labor Coalition applauds the selection of Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai as recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize
Washington, DC – The Child Labor Coalition (CLC), a group of 34 organizations dedicated to fighting exploitative child labor, is celebrating the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala…
The National Consumers League’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2014: An Annual Guide to Help Teenagers Select Safe Employment and Protect Themselves on the Job
Introduction:
Jobs for teens are an important part of youth development, providing both needed income and teaching valuable work skills. A survey from Citigroup and Seventeen magazine released in August of 2013, found that…
CHILD LABOR COALITION PRESS RELEASE: 50 Groups Urge President Obama to Take Action to Protect Child Tobacco Workers in the US
(Washington, DC) Fifty US-based organizations called on President Obama to protect children in US tobacco farming in a letter released today. The letter, issued by the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) and 15 other groups, expressed…
Open Letter to the President: CLC Members are Joined By Other NGOs and Ask the Adminstration to Protect Child Tobacco Workers in the US
Dear Mr. President,
We write to you as organizations representing millions of Americans, including teachers, healthcare professionals, workers, farmworkers, and advocates concerned about the safety, education, and welfare…
Child Mining: 10 Facts (click on title if a numbered list does not appear)
It is estimated that around 1 million children work in mines throughout the world.
Mining is considered a form of hazardous labor unfit for children under any circumstances,…
NCL Expresses Grave Concern about Bolivia’s Decision to Lower the Age of Work to Ten
Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation's oldest consumer advocacy organization with a long history of fighting to improve child labor laws in the US and abroad, decries the decision last week by…
CLC Joins other NGOs in Applauding Downgrade of Thailand in 2014 Trafficking Report Rankings
Letter to Secretary of State John Kerry regarding Thailand's downgrade in the 2014 TIP Report
Publication Date:
June 20, 2014
Dear Secretary Kerry:
We write today to applaud the U.S. State Department’s decision to downgrade…
Petition Asking World Leaders to Work Toward the Rescue of the Kidnapped Nigerian Girls
In Nigeria, over 200 girls were recently abducted from their boarding school and are reported to be eventually sold as brides for as little as $12 each. This petition calls on all World Leaders and enabled parties to rescue…
Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch: Putting 10-Year-olds to Work Doesn’t Solve Poverty
The Bolivian Congress passed a misguided bill last week that would allow children as young as 10 to work legally. If President Morales signs the bill into law, Bolivia will become the only country in the world with a legal…
Teen Safety: Preventing Workplace Violence
By Julie Duffy, Child Labor Coalition Intern
No one expected 18 year-old Christina LoBrutto's first overnight shift at the Pathmark grocery store in Old Bridge, New Jersey to be her last. Sadly, however, the recent high…
CLC press release: Tobacco Companies Should Prevent Child Labor in US Tobacco Farming—Letter to tobacco CEOs from 54 leading health, children’s, and labor organizations
For immediate release: June 26, 2014
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
(Washington, DC) Over 50 US-based organizations called on leading tobacco companies to address hazardous child labor in US tobacco…
CLC-NGO Sign-on Letter to Big Tobacco: 54 Groups Urge Companies to Act Now to Protect Children Who Work in US Tobacco Fields
On June 24th, 2014, the following letter was sent by the CLC on behalf of over 50 NGOs to the CEOs of Altria Group, Inc., British American Tobacco PLC, China National Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, Japan Tobacco Inc.,…
2014 World Day Against Child Labor Speech by Tom Harkin on the Senate Floor
When children are exploited for the economic gains of others, everybody loses--the children lose, their families lose, their country loses, the world loses. When even one child is exploited, every one of us is diminished.
How Can We End Child Labor In The Fields? Pay Farmers Better
By Beth Hoffman, contributor to Forbes
A few weeks ago a request for internal documents from the chocolate giant Hershey’s Co moved forward, with a judge ruling that the company will have to share confidential information…
Still Buying Easter Candy? Guidance on How to Buy Candy from Companies that Treat Their Workers Well
By The National Consumers League's "Savvy Consumer" Blogger
With Easter nearly upon us, consumers will be purchasing a lot of candy over the next several days. In recent years, the chocolate industry has been rocked by a…
CHILD LABOR COALITION PRESS RELEASE: After Saudi Arabia Ratifies Child Labor Convention 138, the Child Labor Coalition Urges Immediate US Ratification
For immediate release: February 28, 2013
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
On February 23, Saudi Arabia became the 167th country to ratify ILO Convention 138, setting the minimum age at which children…
What Will 2014 Hold for Those Trying to Reduce Child Labor and Forced Labor in Uzbekistan’s Cotton Harvest?
For several years, the Child Labor Coalition (CLC), which the National Consumers League co-chairs with the American Federation of Teachers, has worked closely with the Cotton Campaign to reduce child labor and forced child…
A Very Disturbing Phenomenon: The Rapid Increase of Unaccompanied Minors Entering the US
By Reid Maki, Director of Child Labor Advocacy and Coordinator, Child Labor Coalition
Imagine you are a child. Girl or Boy. You are 13, 14 or 15, and gang members in your school are threatening to beat you, kidnap you,…
CLC Member Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch: Will the US Be the Last Country to Ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child?
As the children’s rights advocate for Human Rights Watch, one of the questions I’m asked most frequently is why the US has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Currently, only two other countries…
CLC Press Release: Ban Child Labor in US Tobacco Fields
For immediate release: November 22, 2013
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—In the wake of child labor exposés by The Nation magazine last week, the Child Labor Coalition is calling on…
Essay Contest Spotlights the Plight of Child Farmworkers in the US
One of the privileges of working on child labor issues is getting to know the stories of individual child workers who heroically struggle against poverty and the considerable odds that are stacked against them. Thanks to…
CLC Co-Chair Dr. Lorretta Johnson’s Plenary Speech at the Brazil Child Labor Conference
Dr. Johnson (far right) pictured here with CLC members Jackie Starr, Norma Flores Lopez, Judy Gearhart, and Reid Maki (left to right)
Child labor advocates from around the world were allowed to give four-minute plenary speeches…
Child Labor Tools for Consumers–Apps
Free2Work: This phone app lets you browse companies and how they scored on labor policies, as well as get updates from activists and check out videos and photos from the field. delivers product ratings as you shop. Products…
PRESS RELEASE: Child Labor Coalition Welcomes Falling Estimates of Child Labor But Warns that Far Too Many Children Suffer the Worst Forms of Child Labor
For immediate release: September 24, 2013
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) welcomes new estimates from the International Labour Organization that suggest…
CHILD LABOR IN DOMESTIC WORK
By Sharon L. Fawcett, CLC Contributing Writer
“I clean the floor many times in a day. When it is not well done, my employer throws the dirty water at my face.” This is how girl from Togo describes her experience with…
Child Domestic Work and Children’s Rights (Chart)
[Please click on the image to make it bigger].
Map: How Long are Children Protected from Full-Time Work?
It is important to note that many countries have good laws that protect children from exploitation, but they lack enforcement. A legal framework for protection is an important first step in safeguarding children.Major…
CLC Member Human Rights Watch Press Release: Tanzania — Hazardous Life of Child Gold Miners
For Immediate Release
Tanzania: Hazardous Life of Child Gold Miners
Government, World Bank, Donors Should Address Child Labor in Mines
(Dar Es Salaam, August 28, 2013) – Children as young as eight-years-old…
Niger’s Wahayu Endure Domestic and Sexual Enslavement
By Sharon L. Fawcett, CLC Contributing Writer
Niger’s Tahoua region has a history of enslavement dating back to the early 18th-century arrival of the Touaregs, who brought slavery-like practices with them. Today, young…
Ten Facts about Niger’s “Fifth Wives” or WAHAYU
A wahaya (plural: wahayu) or “fifth wife” is a Nigerien girl or woman born into a slave caste and trafficked into domestic or sexual servitude.
A wahaya can be sold to a wealthy or powerful man for as little as $400…
“Countries that Do Not Legally Protect Children from Hazardous Work” Infographic
[Please click on the title above to view the infographic.]
This is the first in a series of child-labor-related infographics in which we examine legal protections for children. It is important to note…
Donate to the Child Labor Coalition
Please support the Child Labor Coalition's efforts to protect children from hazardous and exploitative labor around the world. Click on the blue icon to donate now.
AFT News Release: AFT and Jamaica Teachers’ Association Launch Anti-Trafficking Project
OCHO RIOS, Jamaica—As the number of reported cases of child trafficking increases exponentially in Jamaica and in the United States, the American Federation of Teachers and the Jamaica Teachers’ Association announced…
Safe Foreign Travels: Learn about the Dangers of Human Trafficking
International travel allows you to experience different cultures, but vacations that are meant to be carefree and fun pose some threats as well. Among these threats is the risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking.
An…
10 Facts about Child Labor in Lake Volta’s Fishing Industry:
In Ghana, one in six children aged 6 to 14 are involved in child labor; 2.3 percent of them work in fishing.
NGOs estimate that 4,000 to 10,000 children are trafficked and enslaved on Lake Volta at any time.
Persistent…
CHILD LABOR AND ENSLAVEMENT IN GHANA’S LAKE VOLTA FISHING INDUSTRY
By Sharon L. Fawcett, CLC Intern
For a small sum of money, James Kofi Annan’s father handed him over to a child trafficker when he was just six years old. Born into a family in Ghana with 12 children, there was no money…
The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act) would help protect child farmworkers
Grecia Balli began working in farm fields when she was 10 years old. At age 14, she decided to drop out of school because her life as a migrant farmworker caused her to switch schools frequently, making it difficult for…
What are the Most Common Child Labor Products Found Around the World?
CLICK on title, and then click on chart to make larger.
Please note that some countries with relatively large numbers of goods on this list…
Which Countries Produce the Most Products Made from Child Labor?
Please note that some countries with relatively large numbers of goods on the List may not have the most serious problems of child labor. Often,…
PRESS RELEASE: Child Labor Coalition Applauds State Department Downgrade of Uzbekistan in the Trafficking-in-Persons Report
For immediate release: June 25, 2013
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
On June 19 the US placed Uzbekistan in the lowest rank in the Global Trafficking in Persons Report for failing to end forced labor,…
Child Domestic Servants
According to an ILO report in 2013, 10.5 million children work as domestic servants around the world.
Child Labor Coalition Press Release: The CLC Welcomes the Reintroduction of the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act)
For immediate release: June 17, 2013
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, D.C.—The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) applauds Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) for introducing the Children’s Act…
International Workers, Employers, Governments Call on Uzbekistan to End Forced Labor, Child Labor
Press release: June 11, 2013
The International Labour Organization supervisory body recommends that the Uzbek government to take urgent and serious action to end forced labour of children and adults in the cotton sector.
(Geneva)…
CLC Member ILRF Calls on U.S. Customs Service to Halt Imports of Forced Labor Cotton from Uzbekistan
(Washington, D.C.) – A formal complaint against the importation of cotton from Uzbekistan grown and harvested with forced labor was filed today by the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), a leading American human and…
Child Labor Advocate Kailash Satyarthi on the Recent Landmark Indian Supreme Court Decision on Trafficking
With great pleasure, I share my joy and accomplishment with you. As I write to you, I am holding a copy of the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India that will have far reaching impact on the lives of millions of…
USDOL to Fund $9 Million Project for Child Labor Remediation in Colombia’s Mining Sector
News Release
ILAB News Release: [05/20/2013]
Contact Name: Gloria Della or Egan Reich
Phone Number: (202) 693-4679 or x4960
Email: Della.Gloria.D@dol.gov or Reich.Egan.2@dol.gov
Release Number: 13-0972-NAT
$9 million in…
Tragic Story of Deaths in a Grain Bin Highlights the Need for Increased Safeguards and Larger Fines
Twenty-five to 30 kids a year die at work. Through its advocacy and co-chairmanship of the Child Labor Coalition, the National Consumers League (NCL) has worked to reduce that number over the years. Each spring, NCL produces…
The CLC’s and Cotton Campaign’s Protest of the Use of Forced Child Labor and Adult Labor in Uzbekistan’s Cotton Fields
When you are a child labor activist, you spend a surprising amount of time sitting at your desk writing emails and blogs or in meetings with federal officials and others concerned about child labor. Opportunities…
Of Ships and Men–Cameron Conaway’s Poem about the Children Who Break Ships Apart in Bangladesh
Of Ships and Men
There are ships like hotels horizontal
and there are children and children
breaking, dragging these dead vessels
through beach sand soiled with oil
through the swirling peace…
Today is the Day to Think about the Plight of the World’s 300,000 Child Soldiers
Today is an important day if you care about the welfare of children. Advocates have named February 12 “International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers” to highlight one of the worst forms of child labor. It’s hard…
The CLC’s Open Letter to President Obama on His Next Secretary of Labor
January 30, 2013
Dear Mr. President:
The members of the Child Labor Coalition (CLC), representing millions of Americans through unions, human rights organizations, and socially-responsible investment organizations,…
National Consumers League Expresses Concern over New Apple Inc. Child Labor Revelations
Apple Inc. announced today that its internal audits had found more than 106 underage employees at 11 different locations in its supply chain; it found another 70 “historical” cases of child labor. The company also said…
Education-for-Girls Activist Malala Yousafzai Walks Out of the Hospital after Surviving an Assassination Attempt
The world is celebrating great news that came in with the New Year: 15-year-old education activist Malala Yousafzai walked out of a Birmingham, England hospital on January 4th, nearly three months after the Taliban shot her…
Please Join Our Protest Against Forced Child Labor in Uzbekistan, Monday, March 11
The Child Labor Coalition and the Cotton Campaign are seeking your help:
Stop Forced Labor, Forced Child Labor and Human Rights Abuses in Uzbekistan During the Uzbekistan Foreign Minister’s visit to Washington, DC
March…
The Real Cost of Cheap Goods is High: The Scary Truth Behind Some Christmas Ornaments
With the holidays upon us, many American look forward to trimming their Christmas tree and spending time with their loved ones, especially their children. For many kids, Christmas invokes the happiest of memories, but not…
Number of Companies Pledging to Avoid Uzbek Cotton Zooms Past 100
The Cotton Campaign recently passed an important milestone in the fight to protect children in Uzbekistan from forced child labor: more than 100 companies have signed a pledge to try to avoid purchasing Uzbek cotton. Consumers…
New Report Grades Apparel Companies on Efforts to Combat Slavery
News from Free2Work and Not for Sale:
We are pleased to announce the release of a report ranking over 300 apparel brands on their efforts to address child and forced labor. Modern-day slavery, which currently affects…
NCL: Grain Silos are Death Traps on Farms—Efforts to Protect Workers, Especially Teens, Must be Stepped Up
NATIONAL CONSUMERS LEAGUE PRESS STATEMENT
For immediate release: October 30, 2012
Contact: Reid Maki, (703) 801-3338, reidm@nclnet.org
The Oct. 28th New York Times story “Silos Loom As Death Traps on Farms” stands…
Poultry processor House of Raeford to pay fine for child labor violations at Teachey, NC, plant following US Department of Labor investigation
U.S. Department of Labor Press Release/Wage and Hour Division [Oct. 16, 2012]
TEACHEY, N.C. -- The U.S. Department of Labor has assessed a total of $12,400 in civil money penalties against poultry processor House…
Human Rights Watch’s Jo Becker: The U.S. Can Do More to Keep Children Off the Battlefield
[This blog originally appeared on the Huffington Post on 10/04/2012]
President Barack Obama announced on Friday that, for the second year in a row, it was withholding portions of U.S. military assistance from the Democratic…
Child Mining
An estimated 1 million children perform hazardous work in mines around the world.
Child Trafficking
According to UNICEF, 1.2 million children are trafficked each year--many for purposes of sexual exploitation.
CHILD LABOR COALITION PRESS RELEASE: Child Labor Coalition decries shooting of 14-year-old education activist Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan
For immediate release: October 12, 2012
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—The 28 members of the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) today expressed their condemnation of the shooting attack on…
Human Rights Watch: In Bangladesh, Tanneries Harm Workers, Poison Communities and Exploit Child Workers
October 9, 2012
[Human Rights Watch interviewed 10 children, some as young as 11, working in tanneries. Many children work 12 or even 14 hours a day, considerably more than the five-hour limit for adolescents in…
Human Rights Watch’s Zama Coursen-Neff on The Hidden Victims of Tobacco
The smoking habits of the presidential candidates keep coming up: Barack Obama's efforts to quit, Mitt Romney's abstention. Romney signed a ban on smoking in bars, restaurants, and indoor workplaces in Massachusetts in 2004;…
Raise the Bar, Hershey! Campaign Welcomes Hershey’s Announcement to Source 100% Certified Cocoa by 2020
[News from the Raise the Bar, Hershey! Campaign:]
Coalition urges Hershey and all chocolate companies to go 100% Fair Trade
The Raise the Bar, Hershey! Campaign (www.raisethebarhershey.org) welcomed today’s announcement…
Ivory Coast
According to a Tulane University study, 40 per cent of the 820,000 children working in cocoa in Ivory Coast are not enrolled in school, and only about 5 per cent of the Ivorian children are paid for their work.
President Issues Child Soldier Waivers
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
September 28, 2012
Presidential Memorandum -- Presidential Determination with respect to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008
MEMORANDUM FOR THE…
Changes to USDOL’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor by Country (2012)
Among the changes in this year’s 2012 update, the U.S. Department of Labor’s List of Good Produced by Child Labor by Country:
Additions:
[Product by country]
Afghanistan …
Philippines
In the Philippines, an estimated 246,000 children experience abuse, violence and child labor living on the streets.
Rwanda: Northern Province Records High Levels of Child Labor
By Bosco R. Asiimwe, 24 July 2012 [from AllAfrica.com]
As the government moves to eliminate the use of underage children in exploitive and hazardous activities in the country, a new survey on child labour indicates that…
Burma/Myanmar Releases 42 Child Soldiers, Vows to End Practice
September 05, 2012 [from Voice of America]
The Burmese military has released 42 child soldiers from its ranks, as part of efforts to end the recruitment of underage fighters in the Southeast Asian country.
The state-run…
Samsung to review 250 Chinese suppliers for labor violations
SEOUL | Tue Sep 4, 2012 4:28am IST
(Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co said on Monday it would inspect 250 Chinese companies which make products for the South Korean firm to ensure no labor laws are broken after a U.S.-based…
SEC Adopts Reporting Rule to Help with Human Rights Issues Concerning Conflict Minerals
The primary mission of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is to protect investors from unfair or unscrupulous practices. Last week, however, the SEC did something remarkable: It agreed to adopt a rule with the goal…
Nigeria: Rehabilitating Victims of Human Trafficking, Child Labor
28 August 2012 [from AllAfrica.com]
Linda Eroke writes on efforts by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Department for Equal Opportunities (DEO), Italy to rehabilitate victims of human trafficking…
Philippines Becomes Second Country to Ratify Domestic Workers Convention (HRW Press Release)
For Immediate Release [Human Rights Watch Press Release, 8/6/12]
(Manila, August 6, 2012) – The Philippines’ ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention will bring the groundbreaking international treaty into legal…
NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs 2012 Report Helps Teens Stay Safe at Work
It's that time of year again in the United States: teens are pounding the pavement looking for summer work. Having a job can be an important part of youth development, but the worst work - the ones on this year's Five Most…
Schooling and Conflict
In underdeveloped countries, every additional year of schooling reduces an adolescent boy’s risk of becoming involved in conflict by 20 percent. According to one study, a country that enrolls more than 87 percent of its…
Nestle Audit Finds Child Labor Violations in Cocoa Supply
By Dermot Doherty and Stanley James - Jun 29, 2012 9:51 AM ET [from Bloomberg]
Nestle SA (NESN) needs to step up measures to combat child labor in the Ivory Coast cocoa industry, according to a study requested by the…
The Philippines
According to the Philippine government, one in five Filipino children is involved in child labor--5.5 million in all.
Uzbekistan: U.S. Report Fails Child Labor Victims–Unwillingness to Impose Meaningful Consequences Allows Abuses to Continue
[The following is a press release from the Cotton Campaign regarding a letter to the State Department in which the CLC joined more than 40 groups to express disappointment about the failure to cite Uzbekistan for forced labor…
Forced Labor
In June 2012, the ILO estimated that 21 million people had experienced forced labor over a 10-year period--5.5 million had been children.
Trafficking
The State Department estimates that 27 million people worldwide, most of them women and children, are victims of human trafficking, forced into labor or prostitution.
CLC Letter to Congress: Do Not Pass HR 4517
[Unfortunately, HR 4517 passed the House on a voice vote July 24, 2012]
July 24, 2012
The Honorable Linda Sanchez
House of Representatives
2423 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Ms. Sanchez:
The 28-members…
Tips for Parents, Employers, and Teens from NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012 Report
While work plays an important role in the development of teenagers, teens and parents should carefully think about prospective jobs that teens are considering and assess possible workplace dangers that those jobs might possess.
TIPS…
Agriculture: Harvesting Crops and Using Machinery — One of the Most Dangerous Teen Jobs 2012
According to the CDC, in 2009 more than one million youth younger than 20 years old lived on farms and 519,000 of this number performed work. An additional 230,000 youth and adolescents were hired to work on farms.
Americans…
Workplace Violence (Segment from NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012 Report)
Restaurants and retail establishments also hold risks of workplace violence. According to 2010 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three of the 34 youth workers who died that year succumbed to assaults or violent acts.…
NCL: Eroding Child Labor Protections in 2012 Will Put Some Teens at Risk in U.S.
[The following is a segment from NCL's Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012 Report]
The competitive teen job market means that some teens might be tempted to take jobs that are less safe than others out of desperation…
Meatpacking/Meat Processing Jobs–Teens Aren’t Allowed to Do It, But Some Do Despite the Dangers
Meatpacking
In addition to the five most dangerous jobs that teens are legally allowed to perform, NCL warns working youth to avoid meatpacking jobs. Although workers are supposed to be 18 to work in these processing plants,…
Restaurants, Grocery Stores & Retail Stores–Largest Employers of Teens–Can Be Dangerous
In terms of raw numbers, retail establishments, restaurants, and grocery stores are three of the largest employers of teen workers.
According to 2009 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 44 percent…
Indian Advocates Find Lots of Children Working in Cotton
Bindu Shajan Perappadan
[from The Hindu, 2012]
Gross violation: NCPCR members found child labourers in large numbers in Bt cotton fields in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
The latest NCPCR survey report…
Outside Helper, Landscaping, Groundskeeping, and Lawn Service–One of the Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens in the U.S.
Landscaping and yard work is a frequent entry point into the job market for teenagers. However, the sharp implements and machinery used to do the work present dangers for teens. Often young workers are left unsupervised for…
Traveling Youth Crews Performing Door-to-Door Sales–One of the Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens in the U.S.
The startling discovery of the remains of a long-missing 18-year-old girl, Jennifer Hammond, in October 2009, served as a painful reminder that traveling door-to-door sales jobs are very dangerous. A Littleton, Colorado native,…
Construction and Height Work–One of the Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens in the U.S.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics fatality records, construction and roofing are two of the ten most dangerous jobs in America. In 2007, an estimated 372,000 workers of all ages were injured in construction accidents…
Restaurants, Grocery Stores & Retail Stores (Segment from NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012)
In terms of raw numbers, retail establishments, restaurants, and grocery stores are three of the largest employers of teen workers. While not a "most dangerous" job for teens, these workplaces can be dangerous.
According…
Driver/Operator, Forklifts, Tractors, and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)–One of the Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012
Forklifts, tractors, and all-terrain vehicles pose dangers for many young workers. Several youth tractor accidents have been detailed in our section on agricultural fatalities and injuries. Some examples of forklift and vehicle…
Conclusion: Teen Occupational Safety Efforts are Working But Vigilance is Needed
One hundred years ago, 100 workers died each day in America. Today, that number—with a U.S. population 3.5 times greater—is 13. Safety training, education, and regulation works.
Teen workplace fatality rates have also…
Teen Deaths from Driving (Segment from NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012 Report)
The most common way for a teen worker to die is in a traffic accident. In 2010, 32,708 Americans—about 90 a day—died in car accidents. Fifteen of the 34 youth workers under 18 who died in 2010—44 percent—perished…
Data on Teen Work Safety (for Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012 Report)
Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to accidents both in normal life and at work. Accidents are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 19. In fact, more youth between 10 and 19 die from injuries…
Introduction to NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012 Report
In late July 2011, two 14-year-olds girls, Jade Garza and Hannah Kendall went off to their temporary job of detasseling corn in a field in northwestern Illinois where they worked for the Monsanto Corporation. The girls were…
The Rock-Mining Children of Sierra Leone Have Not Found Peace
The Atlantic
By Greg Campbell
Though the war has ended, Charles Taylor has been sentenced, and mineral companies are thriving, the poor of this West African country are little better off.
ADONKIA, Sierra Leone -- Ten years…
Sudan: Country Dismisses U.S. Report on Human Rights Violation
[from AllAfrica.com]
Juba — The government of South Sudan has strongly denounced the US department of states report on human rights on the country and instead reiterated its commitment to protect the fundamental human…
Moroccans Employ More Than 30,000 Child Maids
AFP | [The Jordan Times]
RABAT — More than 30,000 children under the age of 15 are employed in Morocco as domestic servants, according to figures released Tuesday by the planning ministry.
A law banning this practice…
Laos partners with ILO to combat child labor
by Khonesavanh Latsaphao, Vientiane Times & the Asia News Network
Laos is one of many countries in the world where large numbers of children are engaged in some form of work, the International Labour Organisation…
DR Congo: Hoping for a Brighter Future
By Christian Kilundu [from World Vision—A CLC member]
He was in primary school when he first met the rebels. They arrived and promised big salaries. The poverty and insecurity the children lived in could be escaped, they…
Summer 2012 Job Outlook: Difficult Times for Job-Searching Teens
It’s that frightening time of year for many teenagers: school is about to let out and the search for a summer job is about to begin. Jobs for teens are an important part of youth development, providing both needed income…
Child Labor Coalition: Withdrawal of Occupational Child Safety Rules Will Risk Children’s Lives on Farms
CHILD LABOR COALITION PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: April 30, 2012
Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
The 28 members of the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) and the millions of Americans they represent…
Conflict and Economic Downturn Cause Global Increase in Reported Child Labor Violations- 40% of Countries now rated ‘extreme risk’ by Maplecroft
Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Philippines expose companies to high levels of supply chain risk
An annual study by risk analysis firm Maplecroft has revealed that 76 countries now pose ‘extreme’ child labour complicity…
USDOL Press Release: Withdrawal of Proposed Occupational Child Safety Rules for Farms
News Release
WHD News Release: [04/26/2012]
Contact Name: Joshua R. Lamont or Elizabeth Alexander
Phone Number: (202) 693-4661 or x4675
Release Number: 12-0826-NAT
Labor Department statement on withdrawal of proposed rule…
UNICEF: In Niger, children are forced to drop out of school to support their families
By Laura Huyghe [UNICEF]
NIAMEY, Niger, 20 April 2012 – Only a few months ago, 12-year-old Oumar Soumana was happily living with his family in Damana, in south-western Niger. But when the village’s food stocks were…
Many Children in India Live and Work in Landfills
[by Mark Magnier. the L.A. Times, 4/22/2012]
NEW DELHI — The children didn't notice the ravens and occasional vulture circling overhead, or the stream of black ooze that flowed nearby, or the inescapable stench of decay.…
Press Release: Saving Lives on America’s Farms–DOL Child Safety Rules Must Be Implemented
Washington, DC—Today, the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) held a press conference to dispel some of the misinformation surrounding the Department of Labor’s recently proposed safety updates to the rules governing child…
Kenya’s Somali Refugees: Overcoming Cultural Obstacles to Girls’ Education in Dadaab
11 April 2012 [from the AllAfrica Web site]
Dadaab — A mix of cultural practices, such as early and forced marriage, as well as child labour, are depriving girls of education in the Dadaab refugee complex in eastern…
Child Labor Coalition: U.S. should implement proposed farm safety rules for children [Press Release]
Legislation by Senators Thune and Moran May Endanger Children Working on Farms
Washington, DC--Legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress in March 2012 to block proposed safety rules for child farmworkers will endanger…
Smoking Kills: Child Labor on Malawi’s Tobacco Farms
Tobacco is Malawi's top export but at the cost of its children's health and education.
By Anna Rabin
Landlocked and with approximately 80% of its population living in rural areas, Malawi’s economy is largely structured…
Common Sense Child Labor Protections Under Attack
Article by Daniel Dahlman, National Consumers League
A teenager's first job is an important rite of passage for many, offering that first taste of adult responsibility; but young teenagers are not yet adults and need to…
Gold
18 countries produce gold with child labor and many children are exposed to toxic substances like mercury during the process.
Child Labor & Brick Making
According to U.S. DOL/ILAB, bricks are produced by child labor in 15 countries: Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, India, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Peru, Uganda, and Colombia…
Roadblocks to Child Labor Elimination in India
VASUDHA VENUGOPAL [from The Hindu 2.13.2012]
The HinduA child at a brick kiln in Tiruvallur. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Every evening on the Marina, 10-year-old Karunakaran is among the several who urge visitors to buy…
More than 150 Groups Urged U.S. to Implement Child Safety Rules for Agriculture But U.S. DOL Succumbs to Political Pressure from Farm Lobby and Withdraws Proposed Protections
[The CLC submitted the following letter to Secretary Solis, urging her to implement the first update of occupational child safety rules for agriculture in four decades. The letter was originally submitted in March with 105…
Hershey Announces Plans to Reinforce Cocoa Sustainability in West Africa
FBR Staff Writer Published 31 January 2012
The Hershey Company, the US-based chocolate manufacturer, plans to invest $10m over the next five years in West Africa, in programs to lower child labor and improve farming communities,…
CLC/NCL letter to USA Today on Hazardous Occupations Orders for U.S. Agriculture Published
Standards cover hazardous work
USA TODAY's article "Updated federal regulations target kids' work on farms" strove for balance, but readers might be left with the impression that the proposed safety rules are overly intrusive…
At the Deep End: Child Labor in Fisheries
from Malaya Business Insight, PHILIPPINES
FILIPINO children work in extremely hazardous fisheries.
The most notorious and extremely dangerous of deep sea jobs is in muro-ami which employs children as swimmers and divers…
India’s Exploited Child Cotton Workers
By Humphrey HawksleyBBC News, Gujarat
Civil rights activist Jignesh Mevani describes the conditions endured by India's child cotton workers
The noise was deafening and air in the factory in northern Gujarat was so thick…
High Price of Gold is Child Slave Labor
JEANETTE PAVINI'S BUYER BEWARE [from MarketWatch]
By Jeanette Pavini
Award-winning broadcast journalist and author Jeanette Pavini writes the Buyer Beware column for MarketWatch and wants to hear your stories, questions,…
Child Labor Coalition Announces Top 10 Child Labor Stories of 2011
List Points to Some of 2012’s Child Labor Priorities
Washington, DC—Advocates from the Child Labor Coalition (CLC), a group representing more than two dozen organizations concerned with protecting working youth, has…
DOL on its Proposed Child-Safety Rules for U.S. Agriculture
In September 2011, the Department of Labor proposed a rule to increase protections for workers age 15 and younger who are employed in agriculture. There are many misconceptions about how the rule would affect young agricultural…
UK Child Labor Record Worsens
Britain’s record on protecting children from workplace exploitation worsened over the past year, new research claims.
The UK was rated “medium risk” in the annual child labour index compiled by Bath-based global analysts…
Donna Ballman: Why Repealing Child Labor Laws Is a Truly Stupid Idea
RedRoom
By Donna Ballman
Did you hear the one where the Republican contender for president said we ought to repeal child labor laws? Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but if you weren't paying attention due to all…
California tells Apple, Others not to use Slaves
This isn't a repeat from the 19th century
| by Nick Farrell in Rome | Filed in Business Apple California
California has introduced a law requiring Apple and thousands of others to make sure that slave labour isn't…
More than 1 million Children ages 10 to 14 still Forced by Poverty to work in Brazil
By Associated Press
SAO PAULO — A newspaper says that despite the economic advances achieved by Brazil over the past few years, children from low-income families are still forced to work in Latin America’s biggest country.
The…
U.S. to support Peru in fight against Child Labor
By Manuel Vigo [from LivinginPeru.com]
On Tuesday the U.S Department of Labor awarded a $13 million grant in support of NGOs that fight against child labor in Peru.
The 4-year program will be carried out in Huancavelica,…
45% Reduction of Child Labor in 5 Years: Labor Minister
Printed from The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Labour minister Mallikarjun Kharge told the Lok Sabha that there has been 45% reduction in child labour between 2004-05 and 2009-10.
Replying to a question by C M Chang, Kharge…
New Law Aims To Shine Light On Conflict Metals
By: Michele Kelemen
December 20, 2011
Delly Mawazo Sesete wants American consumers to know what is in their smart phones, computers and other electronics and where U.S. companies like Apple are getting those rare metals.
Sesete…
Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton
By Cam Simpson - Dec 15, 2011
Bloomberg Markets Magazine
Clarisse Kambire’s nightmare rarely changes. It’s daytime. In a field of cotton plants that burst with purple and white flowers, a man in rags towers over…
Fairtrade Response to Bloomberg Article
Bloomberg article “Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton” published yesterday draws attention to the plight of “enfants confies”, foster children common across West Africa. The article…
Sudan’s Lost Boys: Our Hopes for a New Country
When South Sudan was created as an independent country in July, it offered a new hope and possibilities for a whole generation whose childhood was blighted by civil war.
Among the victims of Sudan's conflict were 27,000…
New Law in Chile Targets Street Beggars
WRITTEN BY STEVE SHEA [The Santiago Times, Monday, Nov. 7, 2011]
Parents who exploit children could face up to three years in jail.
Sen. Carlos Bianchi recently proposed a new law that would seek to discourage adults…
Cambodia
In Cambodia, 52 per cent of children aged between seven and 14 work—over 1.4 million children.
CARE Act Reintroduced–Would Equalize Protections for Children Who Work in U.S. Agriculture
Child Labor Coalition Press Release
More progress needed to reduce child labor; Urgent action required on Uzbekistan, Domestic Workers Convention, and U.S. farmworker children
For release: June 10, 2011
Contact: NCL Communications,…
Rampant Child Labor in Cambodia
by Bridget Di Certo and Chhay Channyda [from The Phnom Penh Post, Wednesday, 02 November 2011 12:04]
Labour legislation in Cambodia is so weak and so often ignored that half the Kingdom’s children between the ages of seven…
Risky Decision: Young Immigrants Sometimes Must Choose Between Work and School
BY John Cox Californian staff writer
Armando Ramirez was about 14 years old when he left his home in southern Mexico to find work in California.
First he and his 20-year-old brother went to Salinas to apply for a job…
Maid Firm Exposed
Yi Somphose, Tep Nimol, David Boyle and Eak Soung Chhay
Scores of crying women who said they had been forcibly detained and girls who claimed to have received fake documents to conceal the fact that they were as young as…
Rampant Child Labor Goes Unaddressed in Kashmir
By Sana Altaf [from IPSnews.net] India
SRINAGAR, (IPS) - Fourteen-year-old Shafat Ahmad works as a domestic helper in the house of a Srinagar-based government employee in Kashmir. His younger sister embroiders shawls in…
Protest Targets Candy Maker
A coalition accuses The Hershey Co. of refusing to commit to buying cocoa produced without child or forced labor
By STEVE SNYDER
Staff Writer
At the height of the Halloween candy-buying season, The Hershey Co. is…