In recent years, governments and organizations have managed to reduce child labor around the world by nearly 40%. But one in 10 children under age 15 still have the years of childhood – years that should be filled with learning and play – replaced by labor, some of it life threatening. 2021 is the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour and June 12 is the UN’s World Day Against Child Labor.
Child labor is the result of many systems breaking down, forcing the child to support the family. That means that many people, companies, governments, educational organizations, and NGOs must work together to solve the complex problems that lead to child labor. As a company, Seabased believes it’s crucial for us to understand how we can help.
Experts recommend companies can help not only by refusing to hire children, but by:
1. Assessing the risk of forced labor. Look at the record of forced labor in the area where a supplier or location may be established and take extra caution in areas with a high incidence.
2. Adopting a policy of conduct that makes in clear your company is against forced labor.
3. Including contract provisions that specify actions you will take if anyone in the supply chain is found to use, or benefit from, child labor. This needn’t begin by termination. Sometimes helping to find solutions to the problem that gave rise to the child labor can be a better step. For example, some companies have raised the amount paid to workers in areas where child labor is a risk, so long as the adult workers commit to never engaging children in work. Ultimately, however, the contract must stipulate that suppliers comply.
4. Require ISO certification with regard to labor practices.
5. Where possible, monitor or seek to have your supply chain providers and locations monitored. If this is done by an NGO or other independent organization, it is not paid for by the company and is considered to have the most credibility although other monitoring options are available.
Seabased believes that the good produced by CO2-free, renewable energy can’t be called sustainable unless it also protects the environment and the most vulnerable in the communities where we operate. We have adopted our own policy against child labor and invite everyone to learn steps they can take in their own operations to protect children.