A recent Save the Children report outlines an approach to child labour in which children s best interests are the key considerations in business decisions. Case studies highlight the importance of collaboration with suppliers and initiatives that focus not on the factory but on issues such as education facilities and women s work. Child labour in international manufacturing supply chains is now seen as one of the biggest risks to a company s reputation, and has led to a proliferation of codes of conduct. Elimination of child labour is now part of corporate social responsibility and this is to be welcomed.
Companies tend to approach the issue of child labour from a risk management perspective.
Quick fixes of children being fired might protect corporate reputation but ultimately result in increased poverty levels outing even more pressure on children to work. The report suggests guidelines towards a genuinely ethical approach to child labour in which children s best interests are the key considerations in business decisions. It is aimed primarily at business managers of international companies in the retail sector, and their suppliers, from multinational companies to small and medium-sized companies. Prevention is better than cure taking a planned, gradual approach to child labour is far better for children and business than reacting to a crisis where the agenda is dictated externally and inappropriate strategies are forced into place. Monitoring, using primarily local resources and genuine consultation with workers, produces cost-effective and useful business information.