Child, forced labor behind many products: study

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5896QD20090910

Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:02pm EDT

By Marcy Nicholson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Children and forced laborers are mining gold, sewing clothing and harvesting cocoa around the world, and India is the source for the biggest number of products made by these workers, a U.S. government report said on Thursday.

The Department of Labor for the first time released a list of goods produced by child or forced labor in foreign countries after Congress told it to compile one. The department looked at 122 products in 58 countries.

Under international labor standards, child labor is defined as work performed by someone under the age of 15, or under 18 where specific forms of work are deemed harmful, the report said. Forced labor is involuntary or done under threat.

In the new U.S. report, India was linked to the highest number of products made with child labor or forced labor including soccer balls and clothing, according to report.

Myanmar was noted the most often for forced labor for other products like rice, sugar cane and rubber.

"The purpose for doing this is to shine a spotlight so more activities can take place that target these problems," said Sandra Polaski, deputy undersecretary for International Affairs in the U.S. Department of Labor.

FULL story at link.

[FreakinDJ]

1. Interesting - they failed to name the Corporations importing this crap

What a Coinkydink!

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

2. What about the Corportations that outsource all those high paying jobs.

I wonder how many children are on that list?