Child Protection

Globalisation enslaves children

A report from the World Economic Forum

Unfettered globalisation is forcing millions of children to quit school and go to work, the World Economic Forum in Davos was told today.

Neil Kearney, General Secretary of the Brussels-based International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF), told an open forum on children's rights that intense global competition was deflating wages and forcing families to either abandon their children or send them to work, often in bondage.

"Two hundred and fifty million children are now in work. Some are only four years old. Half have never been to school. Many will die before their twelfth birthday".

Mr. Kearney said child labour was not new. What was new was the scale of the problem today.

He blamed the gross exploitation of working children worldwide on the greed of employers, the connivance of governments and the complacency of European and American consumers who don't question the manner in which the goods they buy are produced.

Said Mr. Kearney: "Child labour is evil, a blight on humanity. It must be eliminated. But, child labour will not fade in the current dog-eat-dog mode of globalisation.

Mr. Kearney called for support for new Brazilian President Lula's demand for a new economic order. "Trade unions are not against globalisation", he said. "But a new form of globalisation is needed. A globalisation that puts people before profits. A globalisation that makes health care and education available to all. A globalisation that ensures that everyone can earn a living wage for a reasonable work week. A globalisation that will enable every family to send their children to school, and not into the slavery of child work."

The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation is a global union federation bringing together 220 affiliated organisations in 110 countries with a combined membership of 10 million workers.

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005