TÜGİS Calls for Shared Responsibility and Stronger Oversight in the Fight Against Child Labor
The Turkish Food Industry Employers' Union (TÜGİS) has completed the "Big Futures for Little Hands: Say No to Child Labour" project, carried out in cooperation with the Working Life Association and with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO). At the closing meeting held in Istanbul, the outcomes achieved under the project were evaluated, and supply chain management, monitoring mechanisms and rights-based approaches to combating child labour were discussed.
Türkiye Food Industry Employers' Union (TUGIS), in collaboration with Working Life Association and with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO), has completed the "Big Futures for Small Hands: No to Child Labor" project. At the closing meeting held in Istanbul, project outcomes were evaluated while supply chain management, inspection mechanisms and rights-based approaches in the fight against child labor were discussed.
TUGIS, which continues its activities with a new generation union approach, continues to contribute to the sector through social responsibility projects as well as its efforts towards sustainable development of the food industry.
The closing meeting held at Divan Istanbul Hotel was attended by TUGIS Board Chair Kaan Sidar, Working Life Association Chair Dr. Nurcan Önder, Istanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüdayi Sayın and Maltepe University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Recep Tayfun as speakers.
Training Programs and Guide Work Completed
Within the project scope, comprehensive training programs were organized for TUGIS members and sector representatives. The trainings covered managing child labor risks in the supply chain, corporate responsibilities, international regulations, United Nations principles and responsible business practices.
Additionally, the guide work prepared with the contributions of expert academics included policy recommendations for combating child labor, good practice examples and academic assessments.
138 Million Child Workers Worldwide
TUGIS Board Chair Kaan Sidar, who gave the opening remarks of the meeting, noted that according to ILO and UNICEF data, approximately 138 million children are employed worldwide.
Stating that the decline in the number of child workers from 160 million to 138 million over the last 10 years is an important development, Sidar emphasized that millions of children are nonetheless deprived of their right to education and healthy development.
Drawing attention to the fact that child labor is a critical issue not only socially but also in terms of economic development and sustainable production, Sidar made the following assessment:
"Child labor is a multidimensional problem that negatively affects children's physical, mental and cognitive development, while also weakening the future of societies. Depriving children of their future for short-term gains is also at odds with sustainable development goals."
Current Data and Strong Inspection Mechanisms Needed
Noting that Türkiye has made significant progress in combating child labor, Sidar stated that thanks to the work carried out over the past ten years in cooperation between relevant public institutions and the ILO, the number of child workers has declined to approximately 770,000 levels.
However, noting that migration movements, informal employment and the risk of economic vulnerability remain active, Sidar said that the fact that the latest official statistics shared with the public are from 2019 demonstrates the need for current data.
Migration, Informal Employment and Child Labor Feed Each Other
Istanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüdayi Sayın drew attention to the relationship between migrant labor and child labor.
Noting that according to UNICEF data, approximately 350,000 migrant children face child labor risk, Sayın evaluated the effects of migration, informal employment and sectoral production structures on child labor through examples from Istanbul, Gaziantep and Konya.
Transparency and Traceability in Supply Chains Coming to the Fore
Working Life Association Chair Dr. Nurcan Önder noted that legal regulations alone are not sufficient in combating child labor in global supply chains; and emphasized that inspection, training, traceability and transparency mechanisms must be operated together.
Also referring to the practices of international companies, Önder stated that independent inspections of high-risk suppliers, implementation of corrective action plans, establishment of anonymous reporting mechanisms and expansion of human rights training are among good practice examples.
Importance of Rights-Based Approach Growing
Maltepe University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Recep Tayfun drew attention to the importance of strategic communication and rights-based advocacy in the fight against child labor.
Noting that access to information has accelerated in the digital communication age but maintaining proper context has become increasingly critical, Tayfun stated that creating public awareness in solving social problems and human rights-focused communication efforts play a determining role.
Shared Responsibility for Sustainable Supply Chains
In the assessments made at the meeting, it was emphasized that combating child labor is a shared responsibility not only of public institutions but also of the private sector, civil society, academia and international organizations.
Particularly in the food industry, the establishment of sustainable supply chains, strengthening of human rights-focused production understanding, expansion of transparent inspection mechanisms and training activities aimed at raising awareness among workers were stated to be of critical importance for the sector's future.
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