As recently as January 2020, a Qingdao factory that makes Nike shoes employed roughly 600 ethnic-minority workers from Xinjiang, a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute found. Workers also report finding themselves in overcrowded and unsanitary housing facilities with no access to potable water, latrines, electricity, and medical care. Of the estimated 6,049 child laborers who produce textiles, about 448 are 5-11 years old, 2,147 are 12-14 years old, and 3,454 are 15-17 years old. Sources report that cases of forced labor in chile peppers production predominantly occurs in small and medium holder farms and have been found in states such as Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco, and San Luis Potosi. Siemens has no manufacturing facilities in the Xinjiang province and does not produce there. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Brazils commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. In July 2020, following a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on Uyghur forced labor, the US announced sanctions against 11 Chinese companies including Changji Esquel Textile, one of the five Esquel subsidiaries based in Xinjiang. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 14 are involved in the growing of rice in Ghana. Earlier this year, an Adidas spokesperson told The Guardian the company "sources cotton exclusively from other countries and takes a variety of measures to ensure fair and safe working conditions in its supply chain.". Typical of the Pakistani peshgis system, children are often sent to work to pay off their family's debt. There are reports that thousands of adult ethnic minority workers are forcibly employed in factories producing hair products such as wigs. Workers can be placed at factories within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the camps are located, or be transferred out of Xinjiang to factories in eastern China. Some children are trafficked internally and from the former Soviet republics to engage in pornography in Russia. There are reports that children are forced by the military to work in the production of bricks in Burma. It is your obligation to be aware of your supply chain activities. According to investigations, workers face up to 15-hour workdays, and often receive sub-minimum wage payments. ", "BYD does not use forced labor in its supply chain. There are reports that children ages 12 to 17, mainly girls, produce garments in Burma. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Paraguays commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Some children are forced to work long hours and overtime, and receive little, if any, pay. 13 Fashion Brands That Still Use Sweatshops In 2023 Many are forced to work under threat of physical violence. The families receive little payment if any, and lodging and food expenses are deducted from their paychecks. Based on the most recently available NGO evidence, thousands of children are working in conditions of forced labor in the mines in Eastern Congo, particularly in North and South Kivu. Bombardier: "Conducting business with integrity and the highest ethical standards is a top priority for Bombardier. Alstom: "Following the publication of the ASPI report, Alstom and ex-Bombardier Transportation (BT) have undertaken a review of potential forced labour issues in the KTK Group factories supplying Alstom and ex-BT. An official website of the United States government. .agency-blurb-container .agency_blurb.background--light { padding: 0; } Reports indicate that more than 2,000 adult Uyghur and ethnic Kazakh workers have been involuntarily transferred out of Xinjiang to yarn factories in the east and forced to produce thread/yarn products. Children working in the quarries are rarely given protective equipment such as goggles or masks, and are exposed to hazards including severe injury from stone chips; hearing loss from drilling and blasting noise; extreme heat; and inhalation of silica dust, which can lead to chronic lung disease and death. 7/17/1992. Children who work in the production of furniture may be at risk of hazards, including harvesting raw materials such as bamboo, reeds, and straw by hand, in addition to potential exposure to agricultural pesticides. Many of these victims report being recruited by middlemen, called enganchadores, that lie to workers about the nature and conditions of the work, wages, hours, and quality of living conditions. Other victims are recruited through deception regarding the location of work and the anticipated wages. According to the survey, almost 13 percent of Paraguayan children engaged in child labor in agriculture do not attend school. The 2020 Congressional-Executive Commission on China report named Kraft Heinz among the companies suspected of having ties to forced labor in Xinjiang. Some children are forced to work excessive hours, up to 20 hours per day. The polysilicon manufacturers work with the Chinese government to make use of ethnic minority groups for exploitative labor, often receiving financial incentives. Children perform work at night and engage in hazardous activities, such as using machetes and chasing away wild animals. There are reports that children ages 7 to 17 produce bricks in Iran. The company did not respond to a request for comment for this story. The amber extraction process creates large pits and exposes children to risk of injuries when extraction pits collapse. Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories, including for hair products, frequently engage in coercive recruitment; limit workers freedom of movement and communication; and subject workers to constant surveillance, retribution for religious beliefs, exclusion from community and social life, and isolation. On July 13, 2021, the U.S. Department of State, alongside the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the U.S. Department of Labor issued an updated, CBP and ICE, with the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), issued the, If you are a member of the media, please visit the Office of Public Affairs at, If you would like information about CBP's Forced Labor program, please contact, CBP Trade Week has been held virtually since 2020, and has featured panel discussions and presentations on trade topics, including forced labor. There is evidence that children between the ages of 5 and 14 work in the harvesting and production of pome and stone fruits in Colombia. Polysilicon was added to ILABs List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2021 for forced labor. When reached for comment, Dell pointed to its Dell Technologies Supplier Principles, which it said provided information about its commitment to responsible business practices. China produces more than 80 percent of the global markets products made from hair and is the worlds largest exporter of these products. Both men and women are exploited for forced labor in informal brick factories in the Northern Caucasus region of Dagestan; however, victims are primarily male job-seekers recruited in Moscow. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. Brick workers, including children, are forced to work without masks, goggles, gloves, shoes, or other safety equipment. It is widely reported that palm oil harvesters daily targets, which are set by companies, are unachievable within a 7-hour workday, compelling workers to work several hours beyond what the law permits without overtime pay because they fear steep deductions in wages if they do not meet their targets. According to a Government of Uganda official, sand harvesting is one of the main occupations in which child laborers work. In mined or quarried goods, gold, coal and diamonds are most common. Cobalt is used in the production of nearly all lithium-ion batteries. Based on an analysis of the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2017 2018, an estimated 45,699 children are involved in child labor in the production of textiles. The children are paid little, and deductions are taken from their wages for food and shelter. Many mines are controlled by military officers or armed groups which force children to work. A smaller number of workers are subjected to forced labor through physical and sexual violence, verbal abuse, and threats of violence and dismissal. They are not paid for their work. Some boys ages 10-15 from Burkina Faso and Mali are sent to work in rice fields by their Koranic teachers at religious schools. 10 Companies that Still Use Child Labour - CareerAddict The Government of Brazils 2015 National Household Survey considers all work performed by children below age 14 to be child labor. The survey estimates that 142,127 child laborers raise cattle throughout rural areas in Paraguay. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 in Vietnam produce textiles. The Government of Brazils 2015 National Household Survey considers all work performed by children below age 14 to be child labor. OCFT combats child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking by: This is detailed on our company websiteand includes an annual assessment of risk and follow-up. There are reports that forced labor conditions are prevalent among workers in the thread and yarn sector in India. "We have an active ongoing program of human rights protection and anti-slavery measures, both for our own operations and our supply chains. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of El Salvadors commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. ILAB accepts public submissions for the TVPRA List on an ongoing basis, and reviews them as they are received. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of El Salvadors commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Some children are forced to sow, weed, and harvest the cotton in hazardous conditions; some work under threats of abuse or withholding of payment. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Mexicos commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Such children are punished by employers for refusing to work, missing production quotas, falling asleep, or making mistakes. In some cases, child workers are paid little, if at all, and their wages are deducted to repay debts related to recruitment, food, and/or lodging. No matter where a person is in the world, everyone needs to eat, and there needs to be someone willing to harvest the food. The survey considers a working child to be engaged in child labor if the child is below the minimum age for employment of 14 or the child is performing work that is hazardous according to national legislation. Child miners are paid little if at all. There are reports that children as young as age five are forced to quarry stones in Nepal. ", In 2021, CEO Craig Jelinek said the following regarding the allegations:"We take our code of conduct very seriously, and we do many audits, not only our suppliers, make sure that they're doing audits, but we also as a company do audits. Approximately 32.6 percent, or 9,227 of these child laborers are under 15 years old, which is the minimum age for employment in Vietnam. There is evidence that children between the ages of 5 and 14 work in the harvesting and production of grapes in Colombia. ILAB has reason to believe that multiple solar products produced in China are made with an input using forced labor, specifically from polysilicon produced in China. Bricks. Many children live at the worksite, and their freedom of movement is sometimes restricted through confiscation of identity documents and threats of arrest. Forced Labor: Hugo Boss Buys From Company Tied To Xinjiang - BuzzFeed News [CDATA[/* >