Employers and their organizations

The first contribution that employers are obviously expected to make is to stop employing children - particularly in hazardous and exploitative conditions. Increasingly, employers are becoming aware of the longer-term damage that child labour and the exploitation of children inflicts on society. Progressive businesses know better than anyone that a country's future development depends on its ability to master and use new technology, and that child labour effectively prevents the emergence of a well educated and skilled labour force, which a more advanced economy desperately needs. Moreover, certain enterprises - particularly those engaged in production for export - are subjected to growing pressure to cease to employ children. Many of them have responded by removing children from work, or at least from the more hazardous forms of work, and are cooperating in national programmes to reduce and ban child labour - not only by ceasing to hire children but also by insisting that their sub-contractors and suppliers do the same.

Not all employers of labour adopt this policy, however. Those who are less exposed to international competition and pressure, and those who operate in remote areas or in the informal sector, are less motivated, and in some cases less aware of the need to take action to reduce and eventually to eliminate child labour. And there are those who operate in clandestine and illicit conditions and whose activities depend on the exploitation of child labour. The latter must clearly be identified, exposed and brought to justice. But in the case of many small enterprises and workshops, the emphasis should be less on punitive sanctions and more on raising awareness of the importance of promoting children's education and protecting them from hazards at work.

Employers' organizations have thus a major role to play in mobilizing the support and participation of large and small businesses in national programmes against the worst forms of child labour. As one of the social partners, they need to be consulted on the formulation of national programmes, policies and objectives concerning general development issues, including child labour. They are able to bring influence to bear on large and small enterprises, and to provide them with information and assistance; and in some cases they are involved in direct action to assist child workers and their families.

Action which employers can take against child labour

• secure the rights of children;
• encourage governments to ratify Convention No. 182;
• raise awareness of the human cost of child labour and help identify types of work considered to be harmful to the health, safety or morals of children;
• ensure employers' collective commitment to the elimination of child labour at national, regional and international meetings;
• develop policies and initiate concrete programmes;
• institutionalize the activities by setting up a focal point within the organization, thereby ensuring visibility, commitment and sustainability;
• campaign for policies with conviction and vigour to ensure translation into legislation at the national level, which in turn can facilitate ratification, and help design and implement monitoring mechanisms;
• actively participate in IPEC's national Steering Committees;
• cooperate with trade unions and NGOs and, as appropriate, jointly carry out constructive action to transfer children from work into education and training;
• survey existing codes of conduct and labelling schemes with a view to providing, on request, assistance in the drafting of model voluntary codes;
• ensure sustainability on employers' commitment to child labour issues; and
• document Тbest practicesУ which can serve as models for other companies.

Source : An Employers' Initiative for Ratification of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), ILO Bureau for Employers' Activities in cooperation with the International Organisation of Employers, Geneva, June 1999.

The International Organisation of Employers

The International Organisation of Employers has issued a statement about child labour.

The General Council of International Organisation of Employers resolves this 3rd day of June 1996 to:

Call on employers and their organizations to:

• Raise awareness of the human cost of child labour as well as its negative economic and social consequences.
• Put an immediate end to slave-like, bonded and dangerous forms of child labour while developing formal policies with a view to its eventual elimination in all sectors.
• Translate child labour policies into action plans at the international, national, industry and enterprise levels.
• Implement the plans, taking care to ensure that the situation of the children and their families is improved as a result.
• Support activities targeted at working children and their families, such as the establishment of day care centres, schools and training facilities, including training of teachers, and initiate such activities wherever possible.
• Encourage and work with local and national government authorities to develop and implement effective policies designed to eliminate child labour.
• Promote access to basic education and primary health care, which are crucial to the success of any effort to eliminate child labour.