Big Business, Small Hands

Following international outcry in the 1990s over child labour in supply chains, this issue is now seen as one of the biggest risks to a company's reputation, and elimination of child labour has become part of corporate social responsibility. Worldwide, children perform many different jobs in a huge range of conditions. International and national laws set minimum ages for different kinds of work. Yet the way in which child workers are treated is often far from ethical. This text outlines a genuinely ethical approach to child labour - where children's best interests are the key consideration in business decisions. This approach is based on the key principles of the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child 1989. This publication answers common questions to which business people are seeking answers, and suggests measures that a widely responsible company and its suppliers can take to address child labour. It is aimed primarily at business managers of international companies in the retail sctor and their suppliers, from multinational companies to small and medium-sized enterprises.
 
Following international outcry in the 1990s over child labour in supply chains, this issue is now seen as one of the biggest risks to a company's reputation, and elimination of child labour has become part of corporate social responsibility. Worldwide, children perform many different jobs in a huge range of conditions. International and national laws set minimum ages for different kinds of work. Yet the way in which child workers are treated is often far from ethical. This text outlines a genuinely ethical approach to child labour - where children's best interests are the key consideration in business decisions. This approach is based on the key principles of the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child 1989. This publication answers common questions to which business people are seeking answers, and suggests measures that a widely responsible company and its suppliers can take to address child labour. It is aimed primarily at business managers of international companies in the retail sctor and their suppliers, from multinational companies to small and medium-sized enterprises.