Danger: children at work.

Underage employment is highlighted in international labor report

Child labor is a growing problem, and not just in developing countries, according to the International Labor Office (ILO). A new study reveals that 25% of children between the ages of 10 and 14, in both Asia and western Europe,

According to Michel Hansenne, ILO director general, "Child labor is a human rights question. It is just unacceptable that more than a hundred million children are working, that so many children are denied their basic rights." The study defines unacceptable child labor as conditions where children are "exploited, overworked, or deprived of their rights to health, education, and childhood."

The number of employed children is rising in many developing countries, according to the study, and child labor is still a problem in some developed nations. For example, in some African countries, 20% of all children are forced to work. There are some 12 million child laborers in Nigeria alone. In some Asian countries, children make up as much 11% of the work force. Even Spain has an estimated 100,000 children working, mostly on family farms.

The earning power of such children is pathetically low. Youngsters in Indonesian light bulb factories work an eight-hour day, six-day week for the equivalent of $3 in U.S. currency a week; those in Zimbabwe picking coffee beans earn about the same for a 10-hour, six-day work week; and children in Nepal carpet factories earn $1 a day or less.

Children are hired because they are willing to work for less. In India, where 15% of the workers in the match and firewood industries are under the age of 15, employers complain that replacing them with adults would cost them $1.5 million.

"There is a conspiracy of silence in the developing world on child labor encompassing children, their parents, employers, and even governments," says Hansenne. He adds, though, that countries such as Brazil, Peru, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Kenya, the Philippines, and Thailand are now seeking advice and assistance through the ILO.

Hansenne believes that education is a prime tool in this struggle, one that policy makers have ignored. "Some countries with very low per capita incomes have managed to establish credible school systems that both prepare their citizens for the future and discourage child labor, while on the other hand, some of the poorest countries, even in Africa, devote to the education of its children only a fraction of what it spends importing weapons."

Efforts like those in Hong Kong show what can be achieved with strong legislation, a well-staffed directorate, and rigorous enforcement. The fine for illegal employment of children there is $1,300, and inspections are carried out on a regular basis by a staff of 244. These efforts have apparently proved to be effective. During 1986, more than 250,000 inspections in 19,274 establishments turned up only 123 cases of illegal child labor.

Hansenne cautions, however, that laws and government are often not enough. "You must create a movement for change, a movement against child labor that would involve governments, but also the media, communities, and nongovernment organizations involved in human rights, women's issues, and child issues."