Child labour

[123everton]

I already knew that a large proportion of our recyclable waste is exported to the the developing world, some clinical waste that should have been destoyed here was recently sent to Venezuela (I think), I watched a little of "Secret Slumdog Millionaire" the other night, were it was shown that children were sorting through the rubbish, of course I may have headr it wrong, but the waste was from the west.
The question is, what safeguards do our councils have in place to ensure that the impoverished children in impoverished countries are not being compelled to sift through our waste?
Do you care?
Would you accept having to pay more for your services if it meant all our waste was recycled locally?

[another-view]

At least they will be earning a few pennies? Would you rather they prostitute themselves out in order to eat?

[cherrychapstick]

i watched that program and was quite upset by it but i do agree with another-view (for a change) this is how they make their living if they didn't have that to do there would be nothing and would be prostituting to get a few pennies ,i don't think it is right but it is life and would you say the same about they guys who work in the sewers its not just rubbish they are sifting through is it what would be a better job i know what i would choose!!!

[another-view]

Indeed. All these people who moan about kids working in sweat shops for pennies. Sure, close them down then watch what the poor kids have to do to get food.

[tamborine]

Its the caste system in India & Pakistan; jobs for ppl born into the tribe. The Gov claim its illegal but thats rhetoric.......it suits their 'culture' to keep it.

[cherrychapstick]

i actually was very surprised on their culture it was very interesting these people live and work in slums and did you see the condition and cleanliness of their clothes :O
i can't believe they are going to bulldoze the slums ,they are in better nick than the other areas where they stuck up flats ,they are a community where they are if they have to move it will be a terrible shame

[123everton]

It was precisely those sort of arguments that had children working in factories 100 years ago, THEY SHOULD BE IN SCHOOL.
India can afford nuclear missiles, why can't it afford to educate it's children?
We are participants in the employment of child slave labour, does that not worry you?
Any sexual exploitation, which is widespread in India anyway, needs to be dealt with separately.

[cherrychapstick]

well said vibra,Everton i don't know what you want to hear to be quite honest with you we know they should be in school and the children i seen in that program did go to school,this is the way they live their life they do not want our help they are trying to do it themselves if you take away the work they do have how are they going to survive ,how are they going to get out of their way of living we take away their work and then spend years making donations for them which they DON'T want !!!!!

[trt]

If all the children in India and Pakistan were educated there would be no jobs for them when they left college or universtay and they would all want to come here and take our jobs like they are doing now

They are happy as they are, so lets stop trying to make all Countrys like ours, which seems what the Government want to do.

[123everton]

They are happy as they are?
Dear Lord....
We as a nation, as a local council should have in place caveats, if we are going to send our rubbish there to be sorted, then we should make it compulsory that no children are employed in it's recycling, the parents to paid a decent wage and they can lift themselves from poverty.
ASDA and Tesco have successfully(?) eradicated child labour from their own brand products, this is no different.
Unless it's because they're Dalits.

[TWR]

I am going off my job now Everton, our Clinical waste gets incinerated every Thurs.

[123everton]

TWR, I don't think you're part of the problem more part of the solution;-)

[naomi24]

Yes, I do care, but this is a difficult one. I suppose it's all very well for us to get on our high horses, but the fact is that without jobs like this, these people would have nothing - and I mean nothing. They can't go running to social services for handouts - so what do we do? Take it away from them? I've seen people who have nothing, and it's not a pretty sight.

[123everton]

I've seen people who have also, so why can't the government insist on contracts that bar the children from there?
Employ the parents, hey presto! Problem solved?
May cost a little more on your council tax, are you happy with that?
We could try a really off the wall idea, and recycle our own waste?

[naomi24]

You're missing the point, Everton. The whole family works to earn money - and if we recycle our own waste we would take their only source of income away from them.