1. END BONDED CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA

2. Child Labour- Facts and Figures
India has the largest number of working children in the world ( million)
Estimated 15 million children are bonded labourers* (latest figures from Human Rights Watch -1999)
400,000 children in hazardous industries
About 300, 000 children, aged 5 to 15 – forced to work in carpet industry
100,000 children, in the age group 6-14 years, are working in the diamond industry
About 5000 children, in the age group of years are employed in the silk industry of southern Karnataka
Child Prostitution: 15% of India’s estimates 2.3 million prostitutes are children
*Bonded labour is an extreme form of exploitation. It “takes place when a family receives an advance payment…to hand a child over to an employer.” (Human Rights Watch)
INDUSTRIES EMPLOYING CHILD LABOUR
Agriculture
Beedis
Brassware
Mining
Fireworks
Gemstones
Glassware
Silk and Textile Industry
Stone Quarries
Prostitution
Fireworks and Matches
Carpets
Domestic Workers
………
2002 Global March report on Worst forms of child labour

3. General Characteristics of Child Slavery:
Forced Labour Extreme Working Hours Exhaustion
No Free Time
No Education
No Freedom Of Movement Emotional Isolation
Corporal Punishment
Arbitrary Assault
No Sick Leave/Health Care
Malnutrition
No or Little Wage
No Possessions
No Privacy
Prolonged exposure to hazardous conditions, toxic environments
Sexual Abuse
Extreme High Mortality-rate

4. How to make a slave out of a child
Born into a caste
Sold into bondage
Transference of debt
Kidnapped
Lured by false promises
Withholding of documents, possessions
The Supreme Court of India has stated that payment of less-than minimum wages amounts to slavery,
for all labour – adult and child

5. Myths and Facts Poverty is the cause of child bonded labour.
If children do not work their families will starve.
Child labour is a result of over-population.
There is nothing wrong in allowing children to work in non-hazardous occupations.
Child bonded labour is the result of many complex socio-economic factors. Moreover, it does not solve poverty.
In most cases, children in bonded labour do not prevent families from starving.
Even though population growth has decreased, child labour has grown.
Any job with long and hard hours is hazardous to a child’s growth (and a large fraction are actually employed in hazardous environments).

6. Myths and Facts
If children work, they become equipped with skills for the future.
Industry will collapse if child labour is not available.
A global ban on child labour products will force the elimination of the practice of child labour and protect children's rights.
Legislation prohibiting child labour is sufficient to resolve the problem.
Their work is monotonous, hazardous, exhausting and retard their development; no skills for future are developed.
That is no reason to enslave a child. Moreover, research has shown substituted adult labour would have minimal economic impact on these industries.
Only 8% of products from child labor in India is exported.
Enough laws and resources exist; we lack implementation and political will.

7. Laws in India Other Laws Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976
Abolishes the "bonded labour system" and covers all of the many permutations of the bonded labor system in modern India.
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was enacted in 1986 and defines a child as "a person who has not completed their fourteenth year of age."
Exceptions/ Loopholes of this law:
Only prohibits child labour in twenty-five “hazardous” industries (hazardous – only as defined by adult labour standards)
Glaring loopholes and exceptions allow employers to violate the principles of this law e.g. child members of the employer’s family can be employed in such occupations - many employers use “extended family” child members as labourers
Tacitly allows use of child labor, even in hazardous occupations or industries.
The act is also inapplicable to government-sponsored programs
Other Laws
Factories Act, 1948
Beedi and Cigar Workers Act, 1966
Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989
Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979
Contract Labour Act, 1970
Minimum Wages Act, 1948
Plantation Labour Act, 1951
Apprentices Act, 1961
Shops and Establishments Act, 1961

8. International Conventions
U.N. Convention on the Suppression of Slave Trade and Slavery, 1926
ILO Forced Labour Convention 1930, (No. 29)
U.N. Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, 1956
ILO Abolition of Force Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105)
U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966
U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989
India is a party to these international human rights conventions and is legally bound by them.
However, India has NOT yet ratified the following ILO conventions, which are critical to eliminate child labour and bonded labour.
Convention concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour, 1959 (No.105)
Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No.138)
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)

9. ILO’s Convention 182 Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour
Actions include
Awareness Raising;
Law Enforcement;
Labour Inspection;
Educational Support;
Support for Children and Families; and
Cooperation with International Initiatives
Ratifying Governments must
Design, implement and monitor programmes
Enforce the Convention’s provisions,
Prevent worst forms of child labour and remove and rehabilitate victims
Ensure access to free basic education
Take account of the special needs of girls and at-risk children ;
Ensure Universal Education.

10. NGOs concerning Child Labour
India has the largest number of NGOs working in the area of child labour and bonded child labour; e.g.
Global March
Bachpan Bachao Andolan SACCS
Some very successful consumer campaigns have been run by these organizations:
Rugmark
'Fair Play' In The 2002 FIFA World Cup
International NGOs
Freetheslaves.org
Iccle.org
Antislavery.org

11. What can we do? Short Term- Immediate Goal Medium Term Long Term
Awareness Generation
Increase awareness in your group, town, city through presentations, group discussion sessions etc
Hold awareness generation programmes this June 12th , marking ILO’s World Day Against Child Labour ( visit
Campaigns
Demand that Govt. of India ratify ILO C182 convention
Demand State Govts., district collectors, factory inspectors enforce relevant laws
Medium Term
Social Labeling, similar to Rugmark campaign
Support NGOs working for rescue and rehab
Insist on “no child labour” policy in all of our projects’ supply chain
Long Term
Support livelihood generation processes
Organization of processes for enforcement of relevant laws
For more information on presentations and campaigns contact