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Without Child Labor
(from indiancarpets.com) The problem of child labour has long been present in the carpet industry in India. Both government and the Non government organizations have taken many initiatives to curb this problem. In this venture, both these institutions are also supported by the international agencies also. Government on its front has passed many legislations like Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the formulation of a National Policy on Child Labour in 1987 etc. The initiatives of government and NGO's are now supplemented by welfare and rehabilitation activities undertaken by the social labelling programmes. There are four types of Labeling assigned to carpets : GOODWEAVE (RUGMARK) Kaleen Care and Fair STEP GOODWEAVE (RUGMARK)  The RUGMARK label, was the first Labeling programmes introduced in the carpet industry in India in 1994. Registered under Companies Registration Act, this foundation consists of manufacturers, exporters, NGOs and development organizations. It has recently become GOODWEAVE to reflect expanded efforts to other manufacturing industries. Manufacturers or exporters who wish to obtain license of RUGMARK must submit a complete list of looms and/or sources of procuring their carpets to Goodweave foundation. The list should be updated on a regular, half-yearly basis.
Kaleen Kaleen is a Labeling program initiated by the government. It is promoted by the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC), under the ministry of textiles. CEPC apart from providing the license to the exporters of carpets also takes measures to eradicate the child labour and see the welfare of the weaver in the carpet industry. CEPC introduced the Kaleen label in 1995 for carpets to be exported as a hallmark of commitment towards the eradication of child labour. Exporters of the carpet have to obtain license from CEPC. It is mandatory. The annual membership fee is determined by their annual turnover. This Council created a Child Welfare Fund by raising a part of Export Proceeds from Member Exporters and the proceeds of the fund are dedicated to the establishment of schools in carpet weaving areas, operated by non-government organizations (NGOs), the funding of mid-day meals for the students of such schools, the funding of wage replacements or stipends for the families of children removed from the labour pool, and funding for providing medi-care facilities to the weavers and their families in carpet producing belt. As of now 45 schools operated by local NGOs have already successfully completed 3 years of NFE. 11 more schools have been sanctioned and commissioned w.e.f. 1.4.06. Excerpts from the Council's Child Labour Code of Conduct: •Compliance with this code is a mandatory conditions of membership in the Council. Only members in good standing may export carpets and only carpets woven on registered looms may be exported. •Council member commit that no child labour prohibited by Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act of 1986 will be employed in their premises. •Council members, including associate members, may buy or sell carpets only to or from other members or associate members of the CEPC. It is the responsibility of the members to ensure that no order of manufacturing carpets is given to, nor raw material issued for, the weaving of carpets on a loom that has not been registered or has been subsequently de-registered. •To ensure compliance with this code, members expressly consent to the monitoring of their looms through random inspections by independent bodies authorized by the Council. •Members who violate the code shall be subject to cancellation of export privileges (de-registration) or other punitive action. STEP STEP is a labelling system started by members of the carpet trade in Switzerland in October 1995. It is basically y a company certification programmes, that aim to link Indian exporters and Swiss importers and consumers of carpets. STEP India office was established in May 1996. It provides license and the holder of such license can use the monogram of STEP in all advertising materials, showroom displays, etc. STEP established with the objective of providing socially just conditions in carpet production and trade, progressive elimination of child labour and standard working and health conditions for the carpet workers. http://www.label-step.org/en/label-step/what-we-do/ Care and Fair  Care and Fair, just like STEP is a company certification programme and not a product labelling initiative. Care and Fair does not monitor the carpet production but relies on moral commitment of its members. Care and Fair addresses the concern of several carpet importers and retailers in Germany about the conditions prevailing in the carpet industry and the need to rectify it. The sponsors of CARE and FAIR intend to benefit the weaver households including the child labour
If someone thinks of the term “hand-knotted carpets“ it inevitably evokes culture, arts, the Orient, and the bazaar. We associate them with our desires and images of dreams, with “flying carpets“ and stories from “A Thousand and One Arabian Nights“, with the “East and West“. Truly suspenseful and charming images, but unfortunately the world of carpets today is only rarely that fabulous and legendary. The carpet trade is a hard business – and unfortunately all too often a world of reckless wheeling and dealing, making the weak suffer: the poor and sick, and above all many children. At the beginning of the 90’s many cases of child labour became well-known in India, Nepal and Pakistan and made headlines in consumer countries. The combat against child labour intensi- fied and led to protests and calls for boycotts. The latter, however, would certainly not have been an adequate means to help the people concerned. This was the reason why CAIR & FAIR, founded by socially committed carpet importers, was started to help in these countries through the construction of schools and the establishment of basic medical care facilities. The distress was greatest in the carpet belt of the Indian federal state Uttar Pradesh (region Bhadohi/Mizapur), in the Kathmandu valley and in Lahore, the car-pet center of Pakistan. These aid projects are not intended to export western ideas, but should be oriented toward the needs of the local population who provides suggestions and participates in the projects’ development. According to the ILO’s estimations, 250 million children worldwide are still obliged to work in various industries. The exact number of children working in the carpet industry is not known, only estimates exist. But every child is one child too many. Illegal child labour in particular must be universally outlawed and combated. Children have the right to a childhood, without work that exploits them; they need a school education in order to have the chance to self-determine their lives. Thus CARE&FAIR fights for these rights for a future and perspectives for a better life. (from cair-fair.org) |