Child Labour

A debate that's been bugging me for a while.

Apple, H&M, Primark, Nestle..so many world renowned brands have been accused of using child labour. Trying to figure out the ethics behind this. Yes, in an ideal world kids would be at school, not at a factory putting together the sequins for a top to be sold at Primark. But what if that family has no means to send that child to school? A child should never have to worry about helping the family to afford their next meal but what if that little they get paid helps? If it improves the conditions of the family, with the little contribution that they make. Are there parts of this practice that you deem to be acceptable? Maybe it's just the conditions in which they work that need improving? Dim lighting, long unsociable hours, dangerous buildings etc. Or do you think they're kids, they should remain that way and be kept completely away from the world of labour at such a young age?

And who does the buck stop with? The parents of the child, the companies, the government that maybe needs to do more and have better schemes in place to stop such practices? Or maybe me and you to stop visiting these store and put some pressure on them to change their ways? Think back to the Rana Plaza incident..more than 1,000 people died. I happened to pop in to the Oxford Street Primark last week, still as busy as ever.

Well, there are child labor laws in most developed / developing countries. In the US for instance, children under 14 may not be employed for non-agriculture jobs. Then there are some occupations such as cooking, clerical work etc., where children between 14 and 16 may be employed. And so on. Are we discussing only those cases where no laws are broken and no child is harmed or injured or otherwise faced no occupational hazard? Like ,say, Shirley Temple as a child artist?

I don't know where the buck stops but IMO the buck should begin with the parents. If you are a responsible parent, you should have the wherewithal to educate, feed, clothe and provide a roof for your young. But this is only applicable at the time of pregnancy. I understand people could face hardships at anytime during their lives and today's security blanket may not be there tomorrow.

My thumb rule for "risk management" is for parents not to have more than a kid or two anyway, unless we are talking about a region where the per capita income is in 6 figures USD and unemployment is low and continues to stay that way year after year.

Under no circumstances would I argue in favor of, child labor, if the job in question poses a health risk to the child.

IMO, kids should only play, listen to music, dance, read, explore the world and do whatever THEY want.. I'm against them working, anywhere, even if the family is very poor... No kid deserves to take up or share any "responsibility" on their little tender shoulders. 
Edited by Angel-likeDevil - 6 years ago

This content was originally posted by: Angel-likeDevil

IMO, kids should only play, listen to music, dance, read, explore the world and do whatever THEY want.. I'm against them working, anywhere, even if the family is very poor... No kid deserves to take up or share any "responsibility" on their little tender shoulders. 

 

Whether it's harmless or not, I don't like kids working.

Edited by _Angie_ - 6 years ago

This content was originally posted by: _Angie_

The sad reality is that for some children its a choice between going hungry, begging or earning for mere survival. Its not even about funding their education, when they do not know whether they would be getting their next meal. Charity and welfare schemes are often unreliable and at best offer support intermittently. Unless they can get into some dependable charitable institute they are forced to fend for themselves. 

This content was originally posted by: Angel-likeDevil

this reality is too harsh 😭