Child Labour Tackled in Burkino Faso

Date: 28 March 2002

From March 25 - 27 trade unionists from six West African countries - Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Mali and Togo - are meeting with government officials in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to discuss how they will work together to combat the rampant child labour and child trafficking in the region.

Toure Fankroban of the ICFTU-affiliated Union Générale des Travailleurs (UGTCI) of Cote d' Ivoire, said that 40.3 per cent of children in Cote d'Ivoire between 5 and 14 years old are involved in some kind of economic activity.

42.1 per cent of these children are girls. The children most at risk are in the north of the country where 64.2 per cent of children are driven into work by a lack of family income.

A study from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) revealed that 70 per cent of child workers are in the "informal sector".

Accurate statistics on trafficking in children in the region are difficult to obtain, but the problem is real, and often involves children being taken from their countries of origin and sold abroad in Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo and Nigeria to work under horrendous conditions.

Yesterday, the conference participants agreed that this problem, which affects many children in the region, is caused by the current economic crisis, which leads to growing adult unemployment and an incapacity on the part of the state to provide free education.

Poverty was cited as one of the root causes of child labour and child trafficking, along with the poor state of the educational system, cultural and historic factors, and various kinds of discrimination.

"Children are sold like cattle and work like slaves, without any wages or social protection. It is the firm commitment of all trade unionists to deal with this regional problem together.

"All of these countries have ratified ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour. This convention is an important instrument to be used to work with governments to fight for a better future for the children of West Africa," said Sandra Vermuyten, ICFTU representative at the Conference.

To preview an 8-minute extract of the ICFTU video on child labour, "Combating the unacceptable":

For more about the ICFTU Campaign to STOP Child Labour:

The ICFTU represents 157 million workers in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org

For further information

Union:	Labor Council of NSW
WWW:	http://www.icftu.org

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