LIZ CALLS FOR RENEWED EFFORTS AGAINST CHILD LABOUR

5.34.21pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 11th Jun 2007

Liz Lynne MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, has renewed calls for tougher action against the exploitation of children in the world's labour market.

On the eve of the International Labour Organisation's World Day against Child Labour, an alliance of world trade unions today launched a report exposing Chinese Olympic merchandise manufacturers as being the latest offenders, employing children as young as twelve, paying wages at half of the legal minimum and forcing people to do overtime.

Speaking today from Brussels, Liz said:

"Two hundred years after the abolition of the slave trade in the United Kingdom, it is essential that we remember the estimated twelve million people around the world still in slavery, half of whom are children."

"The use of the practices exposed in this report is deplorable but unfortunately still common in certain parts of the world. Any accusation of this nature needs to be investigated quickly and thoroughly to prevent further abuse of children in the workplace."

"Unscrupulous employers must be brought to justice and extra measures put in place by the Chinese authorities to ensure other firms do not do the same in order to make a quick profit from such a huge commercial event as the Olympic Games."

Company officials have denied the accusations, while the Beijing Olympics' organising committee has promised an investigation.

ENDS