To mark the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, the IUF, at the request of our Agricultural Workers Trade Group, has prepared a set of demands (in English, French, Spanish, German and Swedish) calling on international organizations, governments, companies and unions to commit to working to end child labour in agriculture.
- 71% of all child labour takes place in agriculture alone: 108 million children; while the number of child labourers in agriculture remains unchanged despite previous UN commitments, goals and deadlines, the IUF Demands make it clear that “for this year to be any different, the focus must move from the general to the specific by focusing on agriculture”
- The IUF Demands leaflets were launched at a global webinar on May 6 involving IUF affiliates from agriculture and food processing as well as representatives of the ITUC, the ILO and the International Partnership for Cooperation on Child Labour in Agriculture, and will underpin ongoing efforts including the World Day Against Child Labour on June 12
- A number of IUF affiliates spoke about their national level work to eliminate child labour in agriculture:
*GAWU has negotiated workplace clauses in collective agreements to combat child labour and child trafficking in Ghana
*In Pakistan, the Tobacco Growers Association, supported by the IUF Asia/Pacific region, changed its constitution with the aim of eliminating child labour, ensuring no bonded labour in the entire tobacco growing process and ensuring fair wages/income is paid to everyone
*NUCMAW has negotiated the inclusion of clauses on child labour in the collective bargaining agreements of West Nile Tobacco and West Acholi Cooperative in Uganda
*CONTAR is actively working on the elimination of child labour and modern slavery in agriculture in Brazil
