As long as they're paid wages which are attractive to them, I don't see exactly what's wrong. Every modern society in the world has worked through child labour to the point that they can obsolete it. The prohibitions against it in the west came after most people didn't work as children anyway.
As long as they're paid wages which are attractive to them, I don't see exactly what's wrong.
When the alternative is starving to death a very low wage that essentially only gives you enough to not die becomes quite attractive. That doesn't mean it's fair, reasonable or right.
This. If this is the alternative how is the solution stop buying cobalt from them? So basically, cos we want to feel morally superior these people will have to alternatively starve to death cos there is not much else going on in that part of the world to make money on... ? :/
While I am sadden by stories like this, unfortunately I think the solution requires complete overhaul of the environment they are in not just running the mine out of business. They need another alternative. But this cannot be changed by the outsiders :(
And there are similar stories, if not worse, with tobacco industry in Africa, but I assume it is not as attractive to journalists as "mining" is seen more like a slave job. (Kids basically pick and sort tobacco leaves with no protection which makes them absorb dangerous amounts of nicotine)
But the solution is not to stop smoking but to give them alternative. The only reason we don't have child labor in western countries is that we have alternative means of getting food for which we, thank god, don't need to utilize children.
(One good alternative I've seen is tea plantations, partially cos tea doesn't have harmful chemical for people so they need to invest less in protective gear for example)
