Firms agree tough stand on child labour

Date: 02/07/1998

By Peter Chapman

EU IMPORTERS have thrashed out agreement on tough new buying conditions to thwart suppliers offering goods made by child and prison labourers.

Under the code endorsed by members of the trade lobby Eurocommerce, importers will have the right to cancel orders from companies which supply goods produced by children or prisoners.

Importers which sign up to the voluntary system will also be able to carry out random inspections of production sites to ensure it is not being breached.

Eurocommerce spokesman Philip von Schöppenthau predicted that a large number of firms would incorporate the code in the general buying conditions they agree with suppliers.

These are then signed by both importers and suppliers before goods are delivered.

He said that although many firms already included social criteria in their buying conditions, having an 'off the shelf' approved version would encourage more to do so.

“We are quite confident that a large number of our members will use it, including small and medium-sized firms, although we recognise it is easier for big companies to impose,” said Von Schöppenthau.

Eurocommerce believes that the code will help to limit the appalling abuses of human rights which see millions of children under 15 working long hours to produce goods such as leather footballs for export to the West, although the group admits that it will only have a limited effect.

“We should remember that only 5&percent; of child labour is involved in the production of goods for export,” he said.

The buying conditions include International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions on labour which state that children under 15 must not be involved in the production of goods unless the country cannot provide them with a satisfactory education beyond this age.

The Eurocommerce code also borrows from an ILO convention on prison labour to outlaw any use of enforced working in the manufacture of products.

“We have heard of cases in China and Burma, but overall, forced labour is not as big a problem,” said Von Schöppenthau. “What is good about the buying conditions is that they are not too wide-ranging. They only cover child and prison labour. That means they can more easily achieve their goals.”