Global Financial Crisis may worsen child labor situation

“More and more children, especially girls, will stop schooling and enter the risky world of work as the impact of the global financial crisis deepens,” said Julius Cainglet of the Federation of Free Workers as the Philippines commemorated World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) with the Department of Labor, employers and other agencies composing the National Child Labor Committee.

“With poverty unchecked and the gap between the rich and poor getting wider as spending for education remains low, the economic crisis in the Philippines is likely to add even more children to the four million who are already at work instead of getting proper education,” added Cainglet, who is the anti-child labor program coordinator of the FFW, during a media forum held at Max’s Orosa, Manila yesterday.

The theme for this year is “Give girls a chance.” Thirty-six per cent of the working children are girls.

Lay-offs affecting education

Thousands of adults are losing their jobs due to the crisis, putting family incomes under greater pressure and making it even more difficult for poorer families to spend for education.

In Central Luzon, 4,095 workers were laid off, while some 9,254 were on forced leaves, reduced hours and other flexible arragnements. These add up to the 45,000 laid off in March. Overall, government expects job losses to climb to 800,000.

Members of the FFW who got to keep their jobs and continue to yearn for Decent Work have been queueing up at their respective administration offices, trying to avail of all the loans being offered in-house and through the different government financial institutions to spend for their children’s education.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that the global economic slowdown will put more than 140 million people into poverty and 20 million out of jobs in Asia.

All this has resulted to a drop in enrollment. It does not help that the Philippine government does not spend much for education.

Low spending for education

The recent Philippine Human Development Report (PHDR) said that while the budget for education had risen significantly since 2006, the government still had yet to invest in the sector, “spending half of the global norm of 5 to 6 percent of gross domestic product.”

Malaysia, it said, spends as high as 8 percent of GDP, Mexico 5.8 percent, New Zealand 6.8 percent and the United States 5.9 percent.

The lure of child labor

“Girls, especially from the poorest parts of the country who find themselves out of school will be under tremendous pressure to find jobs. This desperation often leads them to the exploitative hands of criminal elements. They become victims of human trafficking and eventually end up as commercial sex workers or domestic workers in urban areas or abroad,” said Cainglet.

It is this very situation for girls that unions want to prevent. Already, the Decent Work Common Agenda seeks to address the problem.

Domestic Workers Law

“The Federation of Free Workers, together with other allies in the trade union movement and civil society is calling for the passage of the Kasambahay or Domestic Worker Law in Philippine Congress. Among others, this important legislation shall give due recognition to Domestic Work as Decent Work and Domestic Workers as—workers,” Cainglet added.

The Magna Carta will recognize the rights of and labor standards applicable to Domestic Workers as no different from those enjoyed by workers in the agricultural, manufacturing and other service sectors. It seeks to define wages, hours at work, working conditions and rest periods and social protection among others.

“Suffice to say, any law on Domestic Workers should complement existing laws banning child labor such as Republic Act 9231, an implementing law necessitated by government’s ratification of the Worst Forms on Child Labor Convention a decade ago,” he added.

Domestic Workers Convention

At the international front, the FFW is pushing for a new ILO Convention for Domestic Workers that will provide more protection to Overseas Filipino Workers employed as domestic workers.

The adoption of the Convention on Domestic Workers will set new international labor standards in the areas of minimum wages, social security, occupational safety and health.

“The Philippine Government should consistently promote and respect the rights of local domestic workers so it can have the moral high ground to call on governments and employers hosting OFWs to respect the rights of migrant domestic workers,” Cainglet added.