Mandate call for ethical consumerism on World Day Against Child Labour
Thursday 12 June 2014Mandate General Secretary John Douglas has called on workers and consumers to “challenge” the scourge of child labour by checking out how shops source their products and making ethical choices about what they buy.
He made the comments on World Day Against Child Labour, marked internationally on June 12 each year.
John Douglas, who is also President of Congress, said: “Child Labour is still a massive industry in many regions around the world and it is something we should not ignore here in Ireland.
“In developing countries, it denies children the opportunity to go to school and avail of their right to an education. It facilitates a growth in profits for those who exploit young children and it is something that we can – and must – challenge.
“As workers and consumers, we must ensure that our money is spent in ethical retailers who ensure child labour is not part of their supply chain. Every day we make choices about where we spend our money and what type of employers and businesses we support.
“We can challenge child labour by simply checking how a company sources their goods and establishing the procedures they take to make sure they are not contributing to the problem.”
Mandate strongly backs pressure group Clean Clothes Campaign Ireland and has called on its members to find out more about the issue on www.cleanclothescampaignireland.org.
