218 Million Child Labours in World

According to estimates from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) published in 2006, there were 218 million child labourers aged 5 to 17 years in 2004. The number in hazardous work, which accounts for the bulk of the worst forms of child labour, was said to be 126 million in 2004. Sixty-nine per cent of working children are involved in agriculture compared with only 9 per cent in industry.

The Asia-Paciic region accounts for the largest number of child labourers with 122 million, followed by sub-Saharan Africa with 49.3 million child labourers, and Latin America and the Caribbean with 5.7 million.

Some people question why child labour is a trade union issue. There are several reasons.

Trade unions have a responsibility to society and workers in general to ensure that labour standards and legislation are respected by all employers at all levels. The basic foundations of trade unionism are the principles of solidarity and social justice. Furthermore, workers' organisations have a long tradition of defending human rights and workers' rights. Child labour violates both children's and adults' rights.

Working children represent an abundant and easily exploited source of cheap labour and contribute to the decline of wages. Hence, child labour leads to the weakening of trade unions' ability to negotiate improvements in workers' wages and conditions.

In addition, child labour increases adult and, moreover, youth unemployment, since children may be doing the same work at lower wages. With the child deprived of education and the adult deprived of work, child labour jeopardises both adults' and children's future.

Much more information is contained in a booklet prepared by the International Trade Union Confederation. You can download the booklet in PDF format (46 pages, 820 kb). There is also a dramatic 45 second video on the topic of child labour.