Child labour in ship-breaking sector opposed

Per year about 600 ships are sent for recycling, most of them to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China and Turkey. A quarter of the workers in the ship-breaking industry in Bangladesh however, is not older than 18 years. But when looking closer at this figure, we see that 10% are even younger than 12, so reported the Dhaka Reporters Unity last January.

They cooperated with Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the NGO platform to publish a report entitled ‘Childbreaking Yards: Child Labour in the Ship Recycling Industry in Bangladesh.’

This is not the only black mark on the industry’s reputation. Accidents occur on a daily basis, leaving many workers severely injured or death, making ship-breaking one of the most dirty, degrading and extremely dangerous jobs, so was explained at the launch of the report. It also sheds light on the socio-economic context that pushes children into one of the most hazardous jobs in the world.

Source: The New Nation (Internet Edition). 29 January 2009