Child labourers hit 168 million, as ILO seeks reduction

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has canvassed urgent global action on child labour, saying the scourge is silently spreading wide, hitting 168 million worldwide.

Director General of the ILO, Guy Ryder, said this yesterday at the on-going 105th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.He said it is not just the lack of institutional protection in the rural and informal economies that increases the risk of in supply chains, but even in household production and family farms.

In this segments, he added, children are often highly vulnerable because parents’ incomes are insufficient or small family enterprises and farms cannot afford to replace child labour by hiring adults and youth.

ILO said the scourge has no place in well-functioning and well-regulated markets, stressing that it is unacceptable that there are still 168 million children in child labour, 85 million of whom are in hazardous work.

It revealed that child labour is found in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism, where about 99 million labourers produce goods and services consumed by millions every day.

It disclosed that it occurs predominantly in the rural and informal economies, beyond the reach of labour inspection, the protection of workers’ organisations or governance benefits of employers and producers’ organisations.

He submitted that global supply chains can offer opportunities for inclusive development for supplier firms, workers and host countries, but targeted action is needed to assure just outcomes.

Beyond child labour in high profile, global supply chains, many child labourers are also found in supply chains producing for local and national consumption and they must not be ignored.

However, Ryder stressed that there are encouraging signs of a will to act and to prevent child labour, to achieve greater transparency and visibility along supply chains, as well as more effective enforcement of relevant laws.

The ILO chief highlighted that the ILO’s Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy of 1977, recognises the role of enterprises in the elimination of child labour.

The focus, according to Ryder, is on development and strengthening of enterprise capacity and social dialogue, as it holds great potential to guide action against child labour.

He reiterated that with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDAs), all major actors by acting together, should make the future work without child labour.