The World Federation of Trade Unions, the militant voice of 105 million workers who live, work, and struggle in 133 countries of the 5 continents, reaffirms that the class-oriented trade union movement is fundamentally opposed and timelessly struggles against the capitalist exploitation and particularly the inhumane and bloody child labour.

On the occasion of June 12th, World Day Against Child Labor, we strongly condemn the barbaric exploitation of children as cheap labor force all over the world. Even in the most advanced economies, underage exploitation is a fact, and childhood is stolen from children. The big capital monopolies, driven by their endless thirst for profits exploit the children as cheap labor. Especially amid the capitalist crisis and the deepening of intra-imperialist rivalries, the exploitation of children is intensifying even more, always with a view to maximizing the profits of multinationals. Child workers are mainly employed in the sectors of agriculture, fishing, and mining, while other children work even as modern-day slaves.

As the world’s class-oriented trade union movement, the WFTU organizes with unwavering commitment our struggle for the abolition of child labour and for the total protection of ALL children’s rights:

– The children’s right to proper nutrition and healthcare in a world where thousands of children die daily, because of lack of food and while hunger is responsible for half of child deaths in Africa.

– Public free and compulsory education for all children.

– Recreation and access to leisure activities that develop the children’s personality and talents.

We demand all the necessary measures to be promptly taken for the adequate protection of children from child labor, as well as for the covering of all of their contemporary needs. The international class-oriented trade union movement intensifies its struggle and initiatives against child labour and all forms of exploitation.