CHILD LABOUR

Part One:
Reading and interpreting
A major international clothing chain has launched an enquiry into claims that its suppliers are
using child labour. Gap Inc, which sells its branded clothes worldwide, is meeting with suppliers to
investigate allegations of children being used in sweatshops. The company has already terminated
a contract with one Indian factory. Gap president Marka Hansen told reporters: "It's deeply,
deeply disturbing to all of us…I feel violated and I feel very upset and angry with…the
subcontractor who made this very, very, very unwise decision." Gap said it will not sell the
garments made in this factory in its stores. There are fears that some of the abused children are as
young as ten. Reports are that the children work 16 hours a day, often without pay. Factory bosses
supposedly beat them with rubber pipes and put oily cloths in their mouths when they cry.
The chain has 3,000 shops across the globe and is keen to keep its image clean. Senior executive
Dan Henkle said: "Our team in India is conducting a full investigation and we have already made
sure the products will never be sold. Although violations of our strict prohibition on child labour
are extremely rare, we are calling for an urgent meeting with all suppliers in this region to
reinforce this policy." Hansen, meanwhile, wanted the world to know she was taking the matter
seriously. She told CNN: "Gap has a history of addressing challenges like this head-on, and our
approach to this situation will be no exception.” She added: "In 2006, Gap ceased business with 23
factories due to [Code of Vendor Conduct] violations. We have 90 people located around the
world whose job is to ensure compliance with our code."
Breaking News English. Oct 30, 2007
Comprehension:
1-The text is about:
a- an unethical practice
b- the world of business
c- Gap’s profits and losses
2-Say whether the following statements are true or false:
a- Gap clothing company will look into allegations of child abuse.
b- It is too late for Gap to stop selling clothes made by the supplier.
c- It is reported that kids as young as 16 are working 10-hour days.
d- It is very unusual for child abuse to occur among Gap’s suppliers.
3-In which paragraph is it mentioned that it is very unusual for child abuse to occur among Gap’s
suppliers?
4-Who / what do the underlined words in the text refer to?
a- its b- their c- whose
5-Answer the following questions according to the text:
a- What measures has the company taken against one of its suppliers in India?
b- How did Gap president feel about the fact that its suppliers used child labour?
c- Why does Gap employ so many people worldwide?
Text exploration:
1.Match the following words with their synonyms:
1- launched a- strengthen
2-worlwide b- started
3-reinforce c-global
2-find words that are opposite in meaning to:
a- local b- uncertain c- permission
3-Complete the following table:

Nouns adjectives
…………… ethical
economy …………………
………….. cruel

4-Complete sentence B so that it means the same as A:

A- The use of child labour can ruin a company’s reputation.
B- A company’s reputation…………………………………….
A- Child labour is very cheap. Children are more readily employable.
B- Child labour is……………………………………………….
A- We feel strongly that international firms should stop hiring children.
B-It’s high time international firms…………………………….

5- Write the correct form of the verbs in brackets:

a- I (not buy) your goods as long as children (work) in your company.
b- I wish all the businesses ( become) child labour free someday.
6- Fill in the gaps with words from the following list: -
their - needn’t -wages -indifferent - our -human -concerned - must
Child labour deprives children of their childhood and their dignity. Child labour is a violation
of ……….rights so fundamental that all………. work together to effectively abolish it. We are
particularly ………….with children who work long hours for low or no……… often under conditions
harmful to……... health, physical and mental development.
7- Underline the stressed syllable:
- criticize - unethical - economy - statistics
Part two:

Discussion

Read the following text. Then share your impressions in your groups.

-The use of child labour

The use of child labour can ruin a company's reputation. This is especially true in the case of
transnational supply and service chains, where the economic exploitation of children, even by a
business partner, can damage a brand image and have strong repercussions on profit and stock
value.
Child labour deprives children of their childhood and their dignity. Child labour is a violation of
human rights so fundamental that all must work together to effectively abolish it, without
compromise. We are particularly concerned with children who work long hours for low or no wages
often under conditions harmful to their health, physical and mental development, who are deprived
of an education, and who may be separated from their families.
Poverty emerges as the most compelling reason why children work. For poor households which
need the money, children commonly contribute around 20 to 25 per cent of family income. However,
poverty cannot be said to necessarily cause child labour. Although the large majority of child workers
are from poor families, not all poor children are working.

- Deficient education systems

In many developing countries, large numbers of poor families cannot afford to send their children
to school. "Free" public education costs, for a poor family, up to the equivalent of one-third of the
family's cash income, through payments for books, uniforms, transport costs, and even teachers. In
many cases, children work in order to pay for their own schooling. Many children also live in
communities where there are no schools, and consequently they work.
Child labor is not the result of culture or work ethics, but rather of companies and subcontractors
searching for a cheap and obedient labor force.
The International Labor Organization estimates that around the world 250 million children between
the ages of five and fourteen work, about 120 million of them fulltime. [1] Some of these children
work in factories and other workplaces in the formal economy, but the vast majority work in
informal enterprises, agriculture and in homes. International firms are part of this economy not only
if they hire children, but also if they buy goods or services from children or from companies that
make such purchases.
When the June, 1996 issue of Life magazine carried an article about child labor in Pakistan, Nike
knew that it was in trouble. The article's lead photograph showed 12-year-old Tariq surrounded by
the pieces of a Nike soccer ball which he would spend most of a day stitching together for the grand
sum of 60 cents. In a matter of weeks, activists all across Canada and the United States were
standing in front of Nike outlets, holding up Tariq's photo
Recently if you go to a shop to buy your child a new soccer ball. There is a good possibility that the
ball has been made by someone your child's age or even younger. About half of the world's soccer
ball are made in Pakistan, and each one of them passes through a process of production where child
labor is involved. This problem not only pertains to Pakistan but is worldwide. More than 200
children, some as young as 4 and 5 years of age, are involved in the production line. Majority of
these children work in Asia, e.g in the nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Discuss:
Answerthe following questions:
What are the causes of child labour?
Do you think child labour will ever disappear?
What should governments around the world do to protect children from abuse?

Use the following expressions:

In my opinion…; according to…