How US is violating child labour norms

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=166&page=29

How US is violating child labour norms
By Hasubhai Dave

Approximately 30,000 women and children are trafficked annually from South-East Asia, 10,000 from Latin America, 4,000 from former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe and 1,000 from other regions. The primary source countries for the United States are Thailand, Vietnam, China, Mexico, the Russian federation, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. According to the ICFTU, this report also indicates that most trafficked women and children are employed in the sex sector, domestic and cleaning work (in offices, hotels, etc.) sweetshops and agricultural work.

The three major industries in the United States that employed children were grocery stores, full service restaurants and quick service restaurants. Legal protection was sparsely enforced, labour inspections by federal agencies had declined and records were inadequately maintained.

The child labour, forced labour and traffic in human beings are social stigmas for any society in which they prevail. Forced labour is a crime and traffic in human being is a heinous crime which cannot be tolerated and allowed or permitted at any cost.

India is alleged to be a source, destination and transit country for men, women and children trafficked for the purpose of forced or bonded labour and commercial exploitation. India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial and sexual exploitation. In addition, boys from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh are trafficked through India to the Gulf states for involuntary servitude as child camel jockeys. India lacks a national law enforcement response to any form of trafficking, but took some preliminary measures to create a central law enforcement unit to do so, said a US report (Indo-Asian News Service, Washington, June 6, 2006), which the US intends to use as a diplomatic tool to raise global awareness and spur countries to take effective actions to counter trafficking in persons. India and other countries placed on special watch list in this regard.

America pretends to be the only country, which is worried about eradicating slavery, forced labour, child labour, trafficking etc., but the reality is somewhat different. The 95th Session of the International Labour Conference of ILO was held at Geneva between May 30, 2006 and June 16, 2006 with reference to worst forms of child labour convention, 1999 (No. 182) ratification:1999. Committee on the application of standards during its discussion recorded certain findings and datas collected by various unions, federations, institutions etc. which are hereby produced for concerned persons’ perusal. According to the communication by the International Confederation of Free Trade Union (ICFTU) dated January 9, 2004, to the committee of International Labour Organisation, the United States is thought to be the destination of 50,000 trafficked women and children each year. It further indicates that approximately 30,000 women and children are trafficked annually from South-East Asia, 10,000 from Latin America, 4000 from former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe and 1,000 from other regions. The primary source countries for the United States are Thailand, Vietnam, China, Mexico, the Russian federation, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. According to the ICFTU, this report also indicates that most trafficked women and children are employed in the sex sector, domestic and cleaning work (in offices, hotels, etc.) sweetshops and agricultural work. Most reported cases of trafficking occurred in New York, California and Florida. This was corroborated by the report of the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force, i.e. a governmental body.

FULL story at link.

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1. nice find

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