Child labor free industry

SUGAR REGULATORY
ADMINISTRATION
“Child" as anyone
below the age of 18
(United Nations International
Children's Emergency Fund)
“Child Labor" as
some type of work
performed by children
below age 18 (United
Nations International
Children's Emergency Fund)
Child labor refers to:
1. Work that is mentally, physically, socially
or morally dangerous and harmful to
children
2. Works that interferes or blocks access
to education by:
• depriving them of the opportunity to attend school;
• obliging them to leave school prematurely; or
• requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with
excessively long and heavy work.
Worst Form of Child Labor
• All forms of slavery like
sale/trafficking of children,
compulsory labor, using
children in the armed forces

• Sexual exploitation like

prostitution and pornography
Worst Form of Child
Labor
• Exposes to biological
agents like bacteria,
fungi, viruses, etc.

• Exposes to hazardous
work-
Hazardous work - harm the
health, safety or morals of
children.”

• Work that exposes children to

physical, emotional or sexual
abuse.
• Work underground, under water, Gold mines
at dangerous heights or in
confined places.
• Work with dangerous machinery,
equipment and tools, or that
involves the manual handling or
transport of heavy loads.

Deep sea fishing

• Work in an unhealthy
environment, which may, expose
children to hazardous
substances, agents or processes
or to temperatures, noise levels,
or vibrations damaging to their
health.

• Work under particularly difficult

conditions such as work for long
hours or during the night or
work that does not allow for the
possibility of returning home
each day.
Child labor is
a global issue.
2.2 Billion children worldwide,
about 15% are engaged in child
labor (UNICEF, 2014)
53% of working children are
found in hazardous work, with
20% increase in number among
older children aged 15-17 years
from 2004 to 2008 (ILO, 2011)
The largest number of
children in hazardous
work is in Asia and the
Pacific, and majority of
them are found in
agriculture (ILO, 2011)
Industry
Services
Agriculture
CHILD LABOR SITUATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES
 Causes of Child Labor
o Poverty - the main push factor
o Market demand-
employers prefer children-
cheap labor
Causes of Child Labor
o Culture and tradition- ignorance of the parents of
the adverse consequences of child labor.
Causes of Child Labor
o Lack of educational facilities
Adverse effect: child labor
maintains poverty.
• Cheap laborers, so they are hired in
preference to adults.
• This leads to lower wages and
higher unemployment among adults.
• Children who work and do not go to
school will end up in low paid jobs
later, and so will their children – and
so the vicious cycle of poverty is
perpetuated.
Some other adverse effects:

• Deprives them of schooling or requires them to assume

the multiple burden of schooling and work
• Jeopardises their health and safety – high risk of illness
and injury…even death
• Affects their physical development (malnutrition, long
working hours in bad conditions)
• Exposes them to physical and psychological abuse and
violence which all have long term consequences
• Deprives them of their childhood and of their future.
Hazards and Risks in
Sugarcane farming
 Fall and slipage from
High footbridge
narrow and slippery
footbridges leading to
trucks (1.5 to 2 meters
high)
Heavy load- Sugarcane
bundles beyond the Body aches, fatigue,
children’s capacity- muscle sprain
50% to 100% of
bodyweight
Night work and long
Stress and fatigue
hours of work
 Inhalation of and skin
Agrochemicals and contact can cause central
burning fumes nervous system effects such
as dizziness/fainting
Parasites/bacteria (water,
soil and air) ILLNESSES
Insects. snakes
Limited leisure activities and rest periods
that cause emotional stress
Tall and vast Possibility of child abuse,
sugarcane fields including sexual abuse
Vehicular accidents while riding
tractors/trucks to transport sugarcane
Sharp and heavy farm tools,
leaves, stalks, and cane points Accidents and injuries
and burnt sugarcane
• Child workers in sugarcane are
exposed to five times risk compared
to other crops because of the use of
farm tools.
Levels of risk in sugarcane farming

 Task with low and moderate risks can

be done by children 15-17 years old
provided the risks are mitigated
through proper training and use of
protective gear.

 Task with high risks are most likely

hazardous and therefor should not be
done by all children.
LOW RISK
 Can cause minor health
• Planting
• Gathering effects that are non-life
and piling threatening and are
of
sugarcane
reversible; these adverse
stalks effects can be minimized
by altering the work
conditions and by using
protective measures
MODERATE
RISK
 Can lead to short-term
• Weeding
injuries and ailments
• Preparing that have no long-term
sugarcane tops health effects and do not
for planting
• Cane trashing affect quality of life or
• Peeling off longevity, provided that
sugarcane
leaves
proper medical
treatment is availed of.
 HIGH RISK  Can lead to disabling
• Cutting sugarcane health effects on children
• Hauling/loading which may adversely
sugarcane bundles
• Application of affect their growth and
fertilizer/ development as
pesticides productive adults.
• Burning of Continued exposure can
sugarcane fields
• Driving
cause permanent damage
tractors/trucks or illness. Some of the
• Plowing the field effects may also manifest
in later years.
 Land Clearing Carrying heavy farm tools

Plowing the
Field
Difficulty
controlling the
carabao / plow;
Strenuous work
 • Difficulty in handling heavy tools
Canal Trashing • Exposure to parasites/ bacteria
• Snake and insect bites

Preparing Cane
Tops for Planting
(L)

Injuries from use of

sharp farm tools
and sharp
sugarcane points
• Preparing sugarcane tops for planting-
Moderate risk
Burning Prior to • Inhaling burning fumes
Planting • Uncontrolled fires

Planting (L)
• Prolonged bending
position
• Snakes and insects
bites
• Exposure to
parasites/ bacteria
• Planting- Low risk ?
 • Injuries caused by sharp tools
Weeding (skin cuts, cut off fingers, foot hit by
(M) falling tools)
• Repetitive movement while weeding
• Weeding –
Medium risk
 • Carrying heavy chemical sprayer and
Applying
fertilizer containers
Fertilizer and • Applying agrochemicals using bare
Pesticides (H) hands
• Skin contact with chemicals & its
residues
• Inhaling chemical residues
• Application
of fertilizer –
High risk
• Application of
pesticides –
High risk
• Cane trashing –
Medium risk
Burning • Inhaling burning fumes
Sugarcane Prior • Uncontrolled fires
to Harvesting • Burn injuries
• Burning of sugarcane fields –
High risk
Cutting • Injuries from sharp and heavy farm
Sugarcane (H) tools
• Repetitive and forceful movement

Peeling Off
Sugarcane Leaves

• Cuts from sharp

sugarcane leaves
and sharp tools
• Skin irritation from
sugarcane leaves
• Insect bites
Gathering and • Cuts and bruises
Piling Sugarcane • Prolonged repetitive
(L) movement
Carrying and Loading
Sugarcane bundles into Trucks
(H)
• Carrying heavy load (often
more than 50% of the
children’s body weight)
• Climbing, slips and falls from
narrow and slippery
footbridge (1.5 to 2 meters
high)
• Night work for hauling
sugarcane
• Prolonged repetitive carrying/
loading movement
• Loading of
sugarcane –
High risk
ILO , every child has the right to:

1. Survival. Right to life,

which includes rights to
adequate food, shelter, clean
water and primary health care.
2. Development. Right to the resources, skills and
contributions necessary for the full development of the
child, which include rights to formal education, leisure
and recreation, cultural activities, and information.
 3. Protection. Right to protection from all forms of
child abuse, neglect, exploitation and cruelty,
including the right to special protection in times of
war and protection from abuse in the criminal justice
system.

Nutritional neglect

Child trafficking
Child abuse
Child exploitation
4. Participation. Right to express opinions and be
heard, and the right to information and freedom of
association.
Current international and country-level
priorities highlight the plight of children
in hazardous work.
The Global Plan of Action on Child Labor
has set 2016 as the target date for
eliminating the worst forms of child labor.

2016
Awareness must be raised and
Child labour and
parents should pay attention to
Poverty
the education of their children.Poverty causes child
labour and child
Child Labour
Child Labour
labour causes
poverty !!

EDUCATION
EDUCATION

To break
Poverty
Poverty the cycle !!
Awareness must be raised and
parents should pay attention to
the education of their children.

Child Labor Laws should be

strictly put into practice.

We need to ensure decent and

productive work for parents
and basic social protection for
families.
 Why should we care?
"Our greatest natural resource is the minds
of our children." - Walt Disney
Because of their unique and vulnerable
position, children are denied the basic
human rights.
Thank you!