Child Labor India Rugs

Indian rugs and child labor a.

Child labor india rugs.

Despite rates of child labour declining over the last few years children are still being used in some severe forms of child labour such as bonded labour child soldiers and trafficking. The number of child and or forced laborers in many countries such as india nepal pakistan and morocco is staggering. The report tainted carpets. 379 are working in developing countries and many of them were enslaved or bonded laborers.

Then in 1994 marianne barner a newly appointed ikea product manager is surprised by a swedish television documentary on the use of child labor by indian carpet suppliers including some that supply ikea s rugs. Human rights and global sourcing. Indian rugs and child labor a basically explains the issue which the company ikea faces because of the increasing environmental and social issues with the suppliers. Statistics of international labor organization there are 250 million children aged 5 to 14 todaro smith 2009 p.

Of these 250 million child labors 126 3 million are doing jobs that are classified as difficult dangerous and suitable child labour in africa 2006 africa has. After a few years of ikea undergoing speculation of unreliable suppliers in countries such as india pakistan and nepal whom used child labor freely throughout their practices ikea s business area manager of carpets marianne barner was faced with a dilemma that she was quickly forced to overcome. Weaving factories have learned they can escape law enforcement if any of labor laws by scattering small village units across the countryside with less than 10 workers each since these small factories are not covered by most labor laws in many of these countries. In the case the company confronted child labor issue and customers perceived that the low price they benefit was due to child labor exploitation in india customers would react by avoiding products from ikea that results in a drop in sales.

She immediately implements a strict policy that provides for contract cancellation if any ikea supplier uses child labor. Slavery and child labor in india s hand made carpet sector documents over 3 200 cases across nine states in india and found several hundred cases each of forced. For example in india estimates of child labor in india vary from the government s 1991 census figure of 11 3 million children under 15 working to human rights watch s estimate of between 60 million and 115 millions child laborers and about 200 000 were employed in the carpet industry. Children work long hours for very little pay.

During the past 20 years it has been one of the fastest growing industries and most of this growth has been achieved through the use of child labor. Across india child labourers can be found in a variety of industries. The case ikea s global sourcing challenge. Child labor in ghana.