Carpet Child Labor

Even today as per unicef a whopping 150 million children all over the globe are engaged in labor.

Carpet child labor.

At age four he was put to work by his family to pay off their debts. Carpet manufacturers and the carpet export industry in pakistan as well as carpet importers and retailers in the usa and other western countries have announced that child labor no longer exists in the carpet weaving industry. Iqbal s family borrowed 600 rupees less than us 12 00 from a local employer who owned a carpet weaving business. But those of us who are fortunate enough to have been born and raised in a free western country such as america where child labor laws are in place and rigidly enforced may be totally unaware of the early age and the extent to which children in these countries are working at.

3 a study published by cepc in 1998 claims child labour account for only less than one present to the total workforce in carpet industry 0 93. This study adhered to international standards by considering all persons younger than 18 years of age to be children. The use of this type of forced child labor in pakistan happens in the brick carpet and coal industries. This was a study of the prevalence of working children and child labor in the production process of the export oriented handmade carpet industry in pakistan in 2009 2010.

International definition according to the ilo s worst forms of child labor convention child labor is the enslavement i e sale trafficking debt bondage serfdom compulsory labor of anyone under the age. In return iqbal was required to work as a carpet weaver until the debt. The study included wool processing activities supplying the yarn as well as carpet production and finishing. Regardless of pakistan s introduction of the bonded labour system abolition act 1992 bonded labor still exists due to the country not having enough resources to enforce child labor laws.

Today child labor is present in many industries from the carpet sector in afghanistan to the cocoa plantations in the ivory coast. Carpet manufacturers and the carpet export industry in pakistan as well as carpet importers and retailers in the usa and other western countries have announced that child labor no longer exists in the carpet weaving industry. The history of child labor can be traced back to the industrial revolution when very young children were forced to work in coal mines factories sweatshops and even as domestic servants. Iqbal masih was born in 1983 in muridke a commercial city outside of lahore in punjab pakistan into a poor christian family.