The worst forms of child labour

  1. The worst forms of child labour involves children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities – often at a very early age.

    Whilst child labour takes many different forms, a priority is to eliminate without delay the worst forms of child labour as defined by Article 3 of ILO Convention No. 182:

    • all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict;
    • the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances;
    • the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties;
    • work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children ("hazardous child labour", see below)

Hazardous child labour, one of the worst forms of child labour

  1. Hazardous child labour or hazardous work is the work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.
    Guidance for governments on some hazardous work activities which should be prohibited is given by Article 3 of ILO Recommendation No. 190:

    • work which exposes children to physical, psychological or sexual abuse;
    • work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;
    • work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;
    • work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health;
    • work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.