APPENDIX 2
Auditors ’ Insights from China : Shortcomings in Recruitment Practices
APPENDIX 2
Auditors ’ Insights from China : Shortcomings in Recruitment Practices
successful over the long-term , or whether the child simply switched to another factory or workplace .
Ms . Bai , also an auditor from China , echoes these sentiments : “ Due to the limitation of auditing reports , I can only see whether the child labor cases have been closed , but not how it was closed . This is not reflected in the auditing report . “
Ms . Tang , who has discovered 20 cases of child labor with her auditing company to date , agrees : “ Our whole industry lacks a follow-up procedure . I think it is due to the fact that once the factory regains cooperation with the brands , it is over for them . To us , if the factory has paid all related expenses , it is a closed case and we will not follow up to see whether the children have gone to other factories .”
Having a very detailed procedure in place and customizing the remediation plan to each individual case is another key for a successful child labor remediation case , Mr . Zhang stresses . He thinks a tailored plan could for example include psychological support to those from broken homes who don ’ t want to go back to school . According to CCR CSR ’ s own experience with child labor remediation , the majority of child workers do indeed come from troubled backgrounds . Many are leftbehind children who have received little to no support and encouragement to stay in school .
Another important factor in ensuring a successful remediation is the budget .
“ I think the factory should not be the only finance source . The brands should also financially support the factory so that the child labor remediation ( CLR ) can go on successfully . Previously , I haven ’ t met any brand that finances a CLR plan ; all of them ask the factory to pay ,” says Mr . Zhang .
Ms . Bai thinks the entire factory management system is flawed and needs an overhaul . For example , many factories are tolerant of children working during the summer vacations because they know they are only temporary and the management team doesn ’ t factor in the risks to the brands and often only focus on the costs . Ms . Bai believes that a close collaboration between brands and factories can help improve the remediation process :
“ The factory management must be willing to implement child labor remediation to the end and if the brands provide certain support ( e . g . volume of orders and unit price ), that could leverage factory management ’ s decision on CLR , the factory could have a greater possibility to complete the CLR .”
In short , according to all three auditors ’ experiences in China , the current system in place for child labor remediation is a shortterm solution that is essentially designed to allow factories to continue cooperation with brands once the child has been removed from the workplace . For most factories , the completion of a report signals closure of the case . A lack of follow-up procedures means there is no way of knowing whether the remediation has had a positive impact on the child ’ s life or whether he / she simply switched employers . What ’ s more , lax hiring procedures and a lack of awareness among factory management on the risks of child labor means that these children are likely to find employment elsewhere , thus perpetuating the vicious cycle .
27 Best Response : Auditors ’ Insights on Child Labor in Asia 28