Hazardous forms of child labour:

ILO calls for urgent action

The International Labour Organization (ILO) in a new report issued for World Day Against Child Labour warned that a staggeringly high number of children are still caught in hazardous work - some 115 million of the world's 215 million child labourers - and called for urgent action to halt the practice.

The report 'Children in hazardous work: what we know, what we need to do,' cites studies from both industrialised and developing countries indicating that every minute of every day, a child labourer somewhere in the world suffers a work-related accident, illness or psychological trauma.

The report also said that although the overall number of children aged five to 17 in hazardous work declined between 2004 and 2008, the number aged 15-17 actually increased by 20 per cent during the same period, from 52 million to 62 million.

The report called for a renewed effort to ensure that all children are in education at least until the minimum age of employment and for countries to establish a hazardous work list as required by ILO child labour Conventions. It also said that urgent action is needed to tackle hazardous work by children who have reached the minimum age.