Introduction
Even though supply chain management is an important and complex aspect of the production process in the modern world, some social problems threaten people’s lives. Coordination of actions can be associated with product delivery or ensuring the operability of the enterprise through the timely supply of the necessary components and products. Nevertheless, this area is subject to some significant social problems that can seriously affect the lives of individuals and society as a whole.
Child labor is one such concern that is prevalent in today’s world. Hiring people under the age of 18 for industrial purposes is a practice that is widespread in some developing countries (Sovacool, 2021). Children can work long hours under challenging conditions for extremely little or no pay. The prevalence of the social problem relating to child labor significantly threatens the well-being of children, violates their rights, and threatens their future. Child labor is a serious threat to many people’s lives and requires a drastic solution, which can be the implementation of sustainable supply chain management practices.
Child Labor as a Serious Public Problem
The conditions in which children work and the risks they may face have a significant impact on their health and safety. The seriousness of the problem is illustrated by demonstrating the problematic situations that arise in developing countries and the position in which this puts children. The social issue of child labor in supply chains can affect many people around the world. Children cannot receive sufficient education and satisfactory living conditions because they are forced to work more than the norm and often against their will, but from the need to survive.
Manufacturing factories, mines, and plantations are the most common places where child labor is involved (Sovacool et al., 2020). These workplaces can be hazardous, as workers are often exposed to various chemicals, near dangerous machinery, and required to comply with complex safety measures. These factors threaten children’s health and do not allow them to grow fully and develop. The use of child labor also prevents such people from receiving a complete education and further realization in any field of activity.
Reasons for Using Child Labor
The use of child labor in various areas of production has become a significant social problem that has emerged under the influence of several factors. One of the main reasons is the lack of sufficient regulation and supervision of the activities of the means of production in many developing countries. Laws that regulate child labor can be ignored and not observed by many manufacturers since, even if violations are detected, it is much more financially profitable for them to pay the penalty for violation (Sovacool, 2021).
In this way, they can continue exploiting child labor for minimal pay, which, as a result, pays for all costs. This factor is prevalent in developing countries with a high poverty rate among the population. In such conditions, many people have no choice but to start working at some enterprise from their childhood, doing hard work so they can keep their life support at the minimum available level without realizing their situation (Ango et al., 2022).
Another reason for the active use of child labor is the constantly increasing demand for cheap, affordable products and their transportation to different regions and countries. All critical actors in supply chains, including suppliers, are also stakeholders in the use of child labor, as it can significantly reduce costs and generate greater profits. The owners of the means of production find a way out of the situation by cutting the cost of manufacturing their products as much as possible. This ultimately leads to the fact that they involve children in work, as they may not provide them with sufficient pay. This state of affairs becomes available due to poverty factors, as many families cannot fully provide for themselves due to low job offers and insufficient awareness of their rights as individuals and as employees (Hall et al., 2019).
Thus, children may not be aware of the incorrectness and illegality of the use of their labor, especially in overtime regimes and heavy industries. Because of these reasons, the problem remains relevant and requires the right solution to ensure better living conditions.
Consequences of Child Labor
The use of child labor in supply chains is long-term and destructive to all cells of society and the economic system as a whole, as this state of affairs does not allow it to develop. The future development of children has severe limitations because they spend almost all their free time at work without having time to pay the necessary attention to education and self-development (Sovacool, 2021). Because of these factors, they will not be able to find a higher-paying job in the future to correct their financial situation. Thus, the use of cheap child labor will negatively affect the country’s economy, as citizens will not be able to pay sufficient taxes and buy expensive products due to their insecurity. In addition, children also have an increased risk of injury, both mental and physical, as they are forced to work in industries without proper protection.
Another necessary consequence of using child labor can be reputational risks for companies. Engaging children in dangerous and low-paid work can cause a public outcry if discovered, which in turn can impose significant financial and reputational liability on the organization. An example of such consequences would be the allegations made by Apple in 2020 that one of its suppliers, Pegatron, uses child labor and inadequate safety conditions (Tsai & Lin, 2023).
Even though the organization began to deny the allegations and said that it conducted its investigation without finding violations, it met with severe consequences. The allegations were widely covered by major media outlets, which galvanized the public to demand that Apple take greater control of its supply chain operations. Many people were unhappy that the company was not doing enough to keep its suppliers’ factories safe. This case highlights the importance of adhering to the rules of ethics and legality when drawing up supply chains. The use of child labor had a significant impact on the company and created several problems that needed to be addressed quickly.
Possible Solution to the Problem
Establishing sustainable supply chain management may be a suitable solution to address the issue of child labor. This should ensure the implementation of ethical and legal norms that comply with employment rules and create a workplace that is sufficiently comfortable, safe, and suitable for employees. In this way, companies will be able to guarantee people that their health will not suffer, and children will not be allowed to work in difficult, unpaid, and overtime conditions against their will. Respect for human rights is the fundamental basis on which organizations should be guided when planning the supply chains for their components and products (Zimon et al., 2020). This may require a high level of care in the selection of suppliers and manufacturers to abolish the problematic situation in which the principles of sustainability cannot be guaranteed.
Organizations should conduct ongoing audits and unscheduled inspections to make sure that there is no use of child labor in production and to avoid negative consequences (Zimon et al., 2020). All employees and managers under the supervision of the supply chain manager must be instructed on the ethical standards that must be observed. To help solve the problem, each person can help uncover facts regarding the unfair involvement of children in production.
The resonance of society is an essential attribute of drawing attention to the problem of large companies, which in the future can help resolve the issue, as organizations will be forced to solve the detected problem (Bell & Vachhani, 2020). Thus, civil society has the potential to influence the exploitation of children in the workplace significantly. Public outcry is essential for organizations to take better care of sustainability in their supply chains.
Conclusion
The use of child labor is a serious threat to the financial, moral, and health of many people. Such a problem needs a radical solution that can eliminate the problems that have arisen from the use of children in harsh conditions that threaten their safety. The reason why companies involve children in their production facilities is that the market tends to make products cheaper. This leads companies to consider solutions that allow them to reduce waste.
In this regard, they employ children who are not paid wages and do not provide a safe working environment. In addition, such actions are also facilitated by not following the norms of labor law and safety, which leads to injuries and deaths of children. In this regard, companies need to implement sustainability in their supply chains to closely monitor adherence to ethical and legal principles.
References
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