Next time you landscape your garden, think of the children...

[Trillian]

There was a detailed article about this in the Sunday Telegraph today, and it will be featured on Ch 7 news tonight. This is from the Oxfam website;

<H1>Child Labour and Kota Stone: Channel 7 Investigation

Tonight Channel 7 will expose the shocking reality that Kota Stone, commonly used in Australian homes and buildings, is being produced by children in horrific conditions.
Channel 7 travelled to Rajasthan, India with Oxfam Australia?s partner the Mine Labour Protection Campaign (MLPC). The MLPC work to improve conditions for millions of mine workers in Rajasthan whose rights are being denied.

There are approximately 400,000 children working in stone mines in Rajasthan, India in conditions that are defined by the International Labour Organisation as among the worst forms of child labour because it?s extremely dangerous.
Children make up 15% of mine workers in Rajasthan ? they?re paid minimal wages but their families are so desperate for any money they have no alternative but to put their children at risk. This work can cause serious injuries and disease. And without the opportunity to attend school, they?re denied a hopeful future.

</H1>

Children as young as FIVE are working in this stone quarrys, in heat of excess of 40 degrees from 7.30am to 6pm at night with little or no break as they cannot work as fast as the adults. They get paid $1.20 per day for their efforts.

[maz]

that is jsut unreal..those poor kids what the hell is kota stone? Can someone give me an example please? (so I know NEVER to buy it)

[Trillian]

It is used for paving generally. The entire King St Wharf entertainment complex at Darling Harbour in Sydney and also two quadrangles at Homebush use Kota stone. Not one single Australian importer of the stone can guarantee that no child labour was used as the industry over in India is shrouded with secrecy and operates on a cash-only basis. Child labour is illegal in India (where kota stone comes from) but no one ever goes to check that there are no children working there, or they are hidden from sight.

[Phteven]

that's just awful. I had no idea.
Lots of the rugs from Pakistan and India are made by children. If you want to buy a rug I think it's probably better to get an antique (despite the concern with developing nations selling off thier cultural history and heirlooms) or a machine made one. The ILs gave us a rug for our wedding present - it's beautiful but I don't like it because I always feel anxious about where it came from and who made it.

[maz]

I seriously cant get over that! IM in shock...how can people use kids for their own devises...Its one thing to get your kids to do a few chores...but to actually make them work for next to nothing and in those sort of conditions.

Im pretty disgusted and it makes the little things we all see differently on, here on BB petty in comparison

[Trillian]

I know Maz. Some of the families have no choice - they actually travel to this place and they all live on site as well, there are no schools, no hospitals no facilities of any sort. One little boy who they thought was only about 5 said that soon his younger brothers would be working there too

[maz]

That jsut makes me realise how dame lucky we are, even though we have a drought going and the 'financial crisis' shiat its nothing.....we can atleast go to centerlink and get financial help...

Im sitting here looking at my boys and I could cry for those kids....