The global economy and influences on child labour

The global economy and influences on child labour

Introduction

This essay will argue the relevance of globalisation and migration to the continued use of child labour particularly in developing countries. The issue of child labour must be established in context with globalisation and migration, which are extremely important processes impacting both economic and societal processes. The vision of child labour being progressed in sweat shops is an image which has been sanitised and is not as prominent in the public arena as they once had been. The main factor for migration is globalisation, however there are others such as demographic shifts, conflicts, income changes, etc. Limitless opportunities have been presented for migration, especially due to the role globalisation has played in this process. There are no longer boundaries which constrain peoples, and the world is a more open place, but child labour still hides in the shadows unacknowledged by legislation.

Globalisation

According to Collier & Dollar (2002: xi), globalisation is

‘The growing integration of economies and societies around the world – is complex process that affects many aspects of our lives.’

Globalisation has identified the workforce as global and has allowed for the process of migration by driving the transnational flows of goods and capital made possible by the lowering of barriers to investment and trade over national borders, the global economy has successfully grown through globalisation. A deep impact has been left on the business environment as globalisation has been made visible through the growth of multinational businesses. Technology has also been a factor in the globalisation process (Steger, 2009), especially on how business operates and the definitions of relationships between globalisation, employment, production, and migration. Li (2008) identifies that there is a contradictory feature to globalisation which is that it is easier for highly skilled and educated professionals to migrate which displaces unskilled workers in traditional economies. Li (2008) suggests that competition between those nations receiving highly skilled migrants as globalisation has increased connectivity between nation states which speeds up the flow of services, goods, ideas, and people across national borders.

Migration

There are an estimated 232 million migrant workers globally according to the ILO (2014). Factors such as globalisation, conflicts, demographic shifts, climate change and income inequalities have all played a roll in this migration. While there are endless opportunities for migrants, the challenges to the migration process are governance, protection of migrant workers, international cooperation, and migrant and development links (ILO, 2014). Collier & Dollar (2002) identify that migration is the third main global flow and is linked to the importance of geography. It is important to note that Dingle (2014) identifies that when migrants leave their country of origin it is usually due to a depletion and deterioration of resources and that they have had to move to a destination where the resources are available. It is resources which drive the characteristics and behaviour of migration. Major changes in migration, according to Li (2008) have become evident through the processes of globalisation, mostly related to the emergence of a global economic structure. According to Li (2008) there are four areas of change in migration under globalisation:

• Shifts in source and destination regions
• Declining fertility and aging
• Globalisation and the demand for labour
• Contradictory tendencies in labour demand and migration.

Understanding globalisation also identifies that it is a contradictory notion to labour demand as it creates opportunities of social mobility for skilled workers who are knowledgeable about specific scientific or technical knowledge. Different demand is produced which is dependent on the location (Li, 2008).

Child Labour

There is opposition to children being involved in the labour market when they should be involved in activities like education or playing, which should be at the centre of their development. Child labour is an extremely complex, emotive, and difficult issue. There are factors involved which play a major role socially, economically, culturally, politically, and legally, as well as the attempts to discourage the use of child labour through legislation both nationally and internationally. The United Nations (2006) identify the practice of child labour as mentally, morally, physically, and socially dangerous and harmful. Global organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) consider the practice of child labour as exploitative and have enacted legislation