Child Labour at India's Som Liquor Unit: Children Worked 11 Hours a Day, Government Says
Child Labour at India's Som Liquor Unit: Children Worked 11 Hours a Day, Government Says
NEW DELHI, July 2 (Reuters) - An inspection by the Madhya Pradesh state government has uncovered a disturbing case of child labour at a Som Group distillery. The investigation revealed that children, some as young as 13, were forced to fill and pack liquor bottles while working grueling 11-hour shifts. This revelation has sparked outrage and highlighted the persistent issue of child labour within India's industrial sectors.
Discovery and Initial Findings
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) conducted an inspection last month, uncovering 58 children working illegally at the distillery. Photos released by the commission showed children with chemical burns on their hands, suggesting they were exposed to hazardous conditions without proper protection. Alarmingly, some children were transported to the factory using school buses, further underscoring the severity of the exploitation.
Government Inspection Report
Following the NCPCR's findings, the state's industrial health and safety department conducted interviews with 27 workers, the youngest being just 13 years old. The inspection report, not publicly available but seen by Reuters, confirmed that these children worked 11-hour shifts starting at 8 a.m. The law in Madhya Pradesh prohibits anyone under 21 from working in a liquor factory, making this a clear violation of child labour laws.
Response from Som and State Authorities
Som Group and the Madhya Pradesh government did not respond to requests for comment. However, in a submission to the state government on June 18, Som Group claimed that some children visited the company to deliver food and medicines to their parents, asserting that no worker was younger than 21. This defense has been widely criticized as an attempt to downplay the severity of the situation.
Broader Implications
This incident has drawn attention to the pervasive issue of child labour in Indian supply chains. In 2021, Reuters reported similar findings of underage labourers at Carlsberg warehouses in Jharkhand. Carlsberg terminated the services of the third-party provider involved, but the problem persists across various industries.
Inspection Report Details
The state government’s report highlighted that the children were not trained on how to protect themselves from harmful chemicals, emphasizing the hazardous nature of their work. The report stated, "Since it is hazardous work, there should have been a health centre at the factory."
Legal and Corporate Actions
In response to these findings, the Madhya Pradesh government temporarily suspended the Som distillery's manufacturing licenses. However, Som Group challenged the decision, arguing that there has been no conclusive finding of wrongdoing. A local court has since put the suspension on hold, with the next hearing scheduled for later this month.
NEW DELHI, July 2 (Reuters) - An inspection by the Madhya Pradesh state government has uncovered a disturbing case of child labour at a Som Group distillery. The investigation revealed that children, some as young as 13, were forced to fill and pack liquor bottles while working grueling 11-hour shifts. This revelation has sparked outrage and highlighted the persistent issue of child labour within India's industrial sectors.
Discovery and Initial Findings
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) conducted an inspection last month, uncovering 58 children working illegally at the distillery. Photos released by the commission showed children with chemical burns on their hands, suggesting they were exposed to hazardous conditions without proper protection. Alarmingly, some children were transported to the factory using school buses, further underscoring the severity of the exploitation.
Government Inspection Report
Following the NCPCR's findings, the state's industrial health and safety department conducted interviews with 27 workers, the youngest being just 13 years old. The inspection report, not publicly available but seen by Reuters, confirmed that these children worked 11-hour shifts starting at 8 a.m. The law in Madhya Pradesh prohibits anyone under 21 from working in a liquor factory, making this a clear violation of child labour laws.
Response from Som and State Authorities
Som Group and the Madhya Pradesh government did not respond to requests for comment. However, in a submission to the state government on June 18, Som Group claimed that some children visited the company to deliver food and medicines to their parents, asserting that no worker was younger than 21. This defense has been widely criticized as an attempt to downplay the severity of the situation.
Broader Implications
This incident has drawn attention to the pervasive issue of child labour in Indian supply chains. In 2021, Reuters reported similar findings of underage labourers at Carlsberg warehouses in Jharkhand. Carlsberg terminated the services of the third-party provider involved, but the problem persists across various industries.
Inspection Report Details
The state government’s report highlighted that the children were not trained on how to protect themselves from harmful chemicals, emphasizing the hazardous nature of their work. The report stated, "Since it is hazardous work, there should have been a health centre at the factory."
Legal and Corporate Actions
In response to these findings, the Madhya Pradesh government temporarily suspended the Som distillery's manufacturing licenses. However, Som Group challenged the decision, arguing that there has been no conclusive finding of wrongdoing. A local court has since put the suspension on hold, with the next hearing scheduled for later this month.
Transcript
00:00Child labor at India's Soam Liquor Unit
00:02Children worked 11 hours a day, government says
00:05New Delhi, July 2, Reuters, an inspection by the Madhya Pradesh state government
00:10has uncovered a disturbing case of child labor at a Soam Group distillery
00:14The investigation revealed that children, some as young as 13,
00:18were forced to fill and pack liquor bottles while working grueling 11-hour shifts
00:22This revelation has sparked outrage and highlighted the persistent issue of child labor within India's industrial sectors
00:29Slum Dog Investigates
00:31Slum Dog goes deep throat to get the information from untouchables
00:35Slum Dog gather the facts
00:37Slum Dog analyze information you can rely on
00:40Slum Dog lay low in the slums with common people
00:43and Slum Dog knows common people problems
00:46Slum Dog, please remember the name because this dog came from slums of untouchables
00:51This dog proves that how hungry you are for the truth
00:55Homeless, Hungry, Poor Slum Dog
00:58Untouchable Slum Dog
01:00Remember the name
01:01To get all the updates
01:03Please like
01:04Share
01:05Click on bell icon
01:07Comment on the video
01:09And subscribe the video
01:11Discovery and Initial Findings
01:13The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, NCPCR, conducted an inspection last month
01:19uncovering 58 children working illegally at the distillery
01:23Photos released by the commission showed children with chemical burns on their hands
01:27suggesting they were exposed to hazardous conditions without proper protection
01:30Alarmingly, some children were transported to the factory using school buses
01:34further underscoring the severity of the exploitation
01:38Government Inspection Report
01:40Following the NCPCR's findings
01:42the state's industrial health and safety department conducted interviews with 27 workers
01:46the youngest being just 13 years old
01:49The inspection report, not publicly available but seen by Reuters
01:54confirmed that these children worked 11-hour shifts starting at 8 a.m.
01:58The law in Madhya Pradesh prohibits anyone under 21 from working in a liquor factory
02:02making this a clear violation of child labor laws
02:06Response from SOME and State Authorities
02:08SOME group and the Madhya Pradesh government did not respond to requests for comment
02:12However, in a submission to the state government on June 18
02:16SOME group claimed that some children visited the company to deliver food and medicines to their parents
02:20asserting that no worker was younger than 21
02:24This defense has been widely criticized as an attempt to downplay the severity of the situation
02:28BROADER IMPLICATIONS
02:30This incident has drawn attention to the pervasive issue of child labor in Indian supply chains
02:34In 2021, Reuters reported similar findings
02:38of underage laborers at Carlsberg warehouses in Jharkhand
02:42Carlsberg terminated the services of the third-party provider involved
02:46but the problem persists across various industries
02:48INSPECTION REPORT DETAILS
02:50The state government's report highlighted that the children were not trained on how to protect themselves
02:54from harmful chemicals, emphasizing the hazardous nature of their work
02:58The report stated, since it is hazardous work, there should have been a health center at the factory
03:02LEGAL AND CORPORATE ACTIONS
03:06In response to these findings, the Madhya Pradesh government temporarily suspended
03:10the SOME distilleries' manufacturing licenses
03:15The SOME group challenged the decision, arguing that there has been no conclusive finding of wrongdoing
03:19A local court has since put the suspension on hold
03:23with the next hearing scheduled for later this month
03:27In a statement to the Stock Exchange, SOME Distilleries & Breweries Ltd. acknowledged the issue
03:31but distanced itself by claiming the plant was run by an associate company using contractors
03:35who may not have conducted proper age checks
03:39The company's shares have fallen by 8% since the discovery of child labor at the factory
03:43The discovery of child labor at SOME group's distillery is a stark reminder of the ongoing exploitation
03:47in some sectors of India's economy
03:51It underscores the need for stricter enforcement of labor laws and greater corporate responsibility
03:55to ensure ethical practices throughout supply chains
03:59As the investigation and legal proceedings continue, there is a growing demand for accountability
04:03and systemic change to protect vulnerable children from such exploitative conditions
04:13For more UN videos visit www.un.org