Mining: ILO bemoans child labour, poor working conditions
Ukpono Ukpong
Discussions on how to address child labour in mining and poor working conditions took centre stage at the ongoing International Labour Organisation (ILO) inter-regional meeting, where experts and global actors from Africa, Asia and South America gathered to seek a solution.
Speaking at the first-ever Inter-regional Knowledge-Sharing Forum on Child Labour and Working Conditions in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mines (ASGM) the Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines, Khalid Hassan said jobs in artisanal and small-scale gold mines are often linked to poor working conditions, with limited rights and access to social protection, without a voice and freedom to join unions.
“Miners risk their safety and health even without a stable income to lift their families out of poverty. Of great concern are children working in these mines, which is one of the worst forms of child labour,”
Countries represented include Colombia, Congo, Cote d’ Ivoire, France, Ghana, Guyana, Indonesia, Italy, Mali, Mongolia, Nigeria, Philippines, Thailand, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.
Others include employers’ and workers’ organizations, international non-government organizations, civil society organizations, miners’ groups and their communities, and ASGM supply chain actors.
According to the organisers, the 3-day forum which is scheduled for 28th through 30 May in Manila is expected to provide a venue to exchange knowledge, technologies, practices and challenges to put forward concrete solutions to address child labour and poor working conditions. Also, the Forum is hoped to assess the impact of the sector on people and the environment.
On his part, the Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Silvestre Bello III expressed the need to zero-in on families noting that the need to know the risks involved in sending their children away for work.
“Child labour is not the solution to the households’ economic problems, rather, it creates long-term problems. This forum is a step forward to be more responsive and to provide us with the necessary tools to address child labour and other labour issues in ASGM.”
The Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Roy Cimatu, said “We are well aware of the negative impacts of ASGM on people and the environment. Most of the operations in the sector continue to work without permits and mining practices are not covered by government regulation. This is mainly the reason why two of the worst issues in the mining sector – child labour and working conditions – are common in ASGM.”
ILO estimates in 2011 revealed that 19,000 children work in 45 artisanal and small-scale gold mines in the Philippines. Children can be found inside mining tunnels or on surface collecting gold and hauling sacks of ore or smelting gold.
The sector is associated with many labour issues such as hazardous working conditions that have led to work-related injuries, diseases and deaths. Child labour is also present in different mining stages. Evidence from various ILO surveys and research studies show that mining is by far the most hazardous sector for children with respect to fatal injuries.
