Child Labour in Agriculture

The ITUC is carrying forward the historic struggle of the international trade union movement to eliminate forced and child labour and to ensure that every child can go to school. The ITUC is thus supporting the International Cocoa Initiative and the ongoing efforts of the IUF in combating child labour. It rejects arguments that child labour is inevitable, economically beneficial, socially acceptable, or to the advantage of the children concerned and their families. Especially in agriculture child labour is often perceived as “family solidarity”. Culture and tradition on family farms make it often difficult to perceive that children can be exploited in such setting. ITUC is calling on its members to campaign together with ITUC and IUF against child labour in all its manifestations, in the informal as well as in the formal economy - through universal public provision of free, compulsory, quality education and income support; by building public awareness and commitment; by campaigning for ratification of ILO Conventions 138, 182, 29 and 105 and their respect by employers including in their supply chains; and by maintaining pressure on international organizations to ensure that trade, economic, and financial policies support the elimination of child labour instead of pushing children out of school and into work.

The International Trade Union Confederation was founded in November 1, 2006 and represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories and has 304 national affiliates. It shall strive for the universal respect of fundamental rights at work, until child labour and forced labour in all their forms are abolished, discrimination at work eliminated and the trade union rights of all workers observed fully and everywhere. (www.ituc-csi.org).