Trade unions at the forefront in the fight against child labour in Mali

Bamako, Mali, 17-20 September 2024 - Fighting against child labour in Mali through decent work for adults is an absolute priority, and this was once again reaffirmed during the union workshop “Decent Work for Agricultural Workers in Cotton and Gold Mining in Mali: A Pathway to the Elimination of Child Labour,” organized by the ACCEL Africa and the ILO's Workers' Activities Bureau (ACTRAV). This workshop, which brought together Mali's four trade union confederations (UNTM, CSTM, CMT, CDTM), held from 17 to 20 September in Sikasso, marked an important milestone in the fight against child labour in the cotton and gold mining supply chains.

With about two out of three children aged 5 to 17 engaged in work activities, or more than 3 million children, the majority of them work in hazardous conditions, often in the cotton and gold mining sectors. These children, sometimes as young as 12, are exposed to toxic chemicals, such as mercury in gold mines, or participate in dangerous tasks in cotton fields, such as handling pesticides.

The situation of children in Mali is therefore particularly worrying. In this context, the ILO, through the regional ACCEL Africa project, is committed to addressing the root causes of child labour by focusing on strengthening policy frameworks, innovating solutions, and fostering collaboration among supply chain actors.

The recently concluded union workshop marked a turning point in this fight in Mali. An ambitious inter-union action plan was developed to combat child labour in the cotton and gold mining sectors.

A Concrete Action Plan

This action plan, which integrates both advocacy actions to influence public decisions and policies through social dialogue and concrete organizational actions to address the strategic and practical needs of workers in these sectors, offers powerful tools to tackle the root causes of child labour. During the workshop, participants finalized their inter-union action plans (uniting action) and sector-specific plans, aiming to expand union representation in rural areas:

• Strengthen trade union freedom and the collective organization of workers in supply chains.
• Promote decent work for adults, thus reducing the need to involve children in work.
• Raise awareness among policymakers and lead campaigns to extend the RAMU (Universal Health Insurance Scheme) to agricultural and gold mining workers, as well as the application of Fundamental Conventions.
• Establish a local and specialized trade union platform with focal points in agricultural and mining areas to coordinate efforts on fighting child labour and organizing trade unions and collective action among workers in the cotton and gold mining sectors.
• Raise awareness among agricultural and gold mining workers about social protection and occupational health/safety, which are strategic elements for ensuring safe and respectful working conditions.

© ILO Mali

© ILO Mali

At the end of this workshop, the 40 national and local members of the trade union platform are now better equipped to defend the rights of agricultural workers in the cotton and gold mining sectors, and through this, combat child labour.

This action plan is a first step towards creating sustainable solutions for cotton and gold mining workers and eliminating child labour through the determined action of representative workers' organizations.