Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work We Go..

While American parents worried about the toxic effects on their children from toys imported from China, few, I would wager, have given too much consideration to the Chinese child laborers likewise subjected to those same toxins. Child laborers contribute to the pool of cheap labor that keeps the wheels of Chinese production turning. As the population ages, China faces a shrinking labor pool that is beginning to exert changes in employment practices. Industries and factories are discovering the need to compete for employees, giving employees leverage in higher salary demands and better working conditions. If employees don’t like what they see, they vote with their feet by moving on to a better place of employment. Workers vigilantly check their cell phones for text messages from others who keep them abreast of where the best wages can be found. (New York Times, Help Wanted: China Finds Itself with a Labor Shortage, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/international/asia/03china.html?scp=38&sq=child+labor+in+china&st=nyt ). As migrant workers move on to greener pastures, child laborers fill the void, particularly in factories. The high drop out rate of students from schools in the countryside assures an ample supply of these underage workers. Although China designates 16 as the legal age for employment, hiring underage workers is not uncommon especially in small private industries and factories where oversight is negligible. The China Labor Bulletin’s report on child labor, Small Hands (http://www.china-labour.org.hk/en/files/share/File/general/Child_labour_report_1.pdf- ) categorizes six groups of child laborers: 1) those who work as part of an apprentice program, 2) those attending work study schools, 3) those working with their families in a business or as household helpers, 4) casual workers who perform odd jobs, work with a construction crew, in restaurants, or as nannies for a limited amount of time 5) regular workers who have contracts with a small enterprise in a city, and 6) forced laborers. The Bulletin report observes poverty and the high drop out rate to be the two largest factors contributing to the availability of child laborers. The Chinese compulsory education system requires six years of primary school, followed by three years of middle school. While the education is compulsory and free, numerous fees place a large burden on cash strapped families. By the second year of middle school, many parents pull their children out when grades are low and the tuition for high school looms ahead. Inadequate funding of rural schools leaves most children with a poor basic education, making middle and high school a significant struggle even for the best of students. The prohibitive cost of university makes this stepping stone to a better life a virtual impossibility for most. A college degree used to be a vehicle for success in the urban areas, where one could attain a job and with it a residency card. These days it is easier to find work, and residency requirements have been lifted in most major cities, so a college degree offers limited benefits in view of the cost.