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30. Another case of exploitation of child labour in Italy, involving the sale of a child by his family to a farmer, was recalled by the representative of the International Union for Child Welfare. She stated that the courts had imposed a very: low pecuniary fine on the people involved in this case, which had ended in the child's committing suicide. In her view, this showed that penalties should be strengthened.
31. One member of the Group stated that these examples from Western countries showed that the problem of child labour was universal and therefore the Group's reports on any country should not be taken as a proof of political, cultural or racial bias.
32. Another instance of child labour involving the sale of children in Thailand was brought to the attention of the Group by a representative of the Minority Rights Group. She stated that according to her information, there were 5,000 to 17,000 factories and cottage industries in Bangkok alone. These were mostly sweatshops employing large numbers of children to perform unskilled labour in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, and for minimal wages. The children were often sold to these factories for . £100-200 by unscrupulous employment agencies which had assured the parents that the children would be paid a good wage and would be looked after. She mentioned the example of a candy-wrapping company in which children had been required to work up to 15 hours in a squatting position, which had made many of them lame as a result. The owner, instead of releasing the lame children, had then required the healthy ones to carry them to and from their rooms to the place of work. She stated that often such sweatshops operated with official acquiescence or on a compromise basis with the authorities, because they were an integral part of the Thai economy, and requested that the report be brought to the attention of the Government of Thailand. Consideration of the economic and social conditions in any country, in her view, should not prevent the international community and national authorities from taking measures to ensure that all children lead full and productive lives.
33. The ILO representative described the standard-setting and practical activities of the ILO in the field of child labour. He stated that the Convention on Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (No. 138) was designed to revise and eventually to replace a number of earlier instruments. The long-term aim of the ILO was the total elimination of the exploitation of child labour. However, while child labour continued to exist because of prevailing economic and social conditions, it was necessary to regulate it and the ILO had adopted a number of instruments setting standards in specific areas, which had been widely ratified. As part of its contribution to IYC, the ILO was encouraging States to ratify these Conventions. addition, the Governing Body had called for reports from member States on the Minimum Age Convention and Recommendation under art. 19 of the ILO Constitution (reports on unratified Conventions and on. Recommendations). Such reports were, due in the fall
of 1980 and would be examined by the Committee of Experts in March 1981.
In
34. Among the main practical measures taken by the ILO in this field could be mentioned. the provision of experts to advise Governments. in the drafting of labour legislation, which often meant that at least the principal provisions of basic ILO standards could be introduced even in the legislation of countries which had not ratified all relevant ILO instruments. In addition, ILO provided experts in particular fields, when requested by Governments, for instance in vocational training programmes.
35. Several participants emphasized the distinction between child labour in the house, particularly in rural areas, where children worked under the supervision of the family and made a necessary contribution to the family's income, and labour outside the home, which often occurred under exploitative conditions. In their view, child labour as such could not be eliminated so long as there was poverty and hunger in the world . which forced children to contribute to the family's income. However, they pointed out that there was an urgent need for the imposition of adequate standards to protect.: working children in the short run.