Children in India’s Punjab State attend school as part of a project to eliminate child labour.

The project operates in four Indian states: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and Orissa. Adult workers in the informal sectors of construction, stone quarries, and brick kilns are learning how to organize into local unions to bargain collective agreements that will raise the standard of living for their families. Participating workers also sign a pledge that their children will no longer work in this sector where children work very long hours under exploitative conditions. Instead, the workers’ children are provided with five years of primary education in schools run by the local unions. In the evenings, these facilities are used for adult education courses on various topics including literacy and gender awareness.

“Our commitment to support this project will extend over a five-year period to ensure that the children complete at least one education cycle, ” says Mr. Puritt, who recently visited the schools for a third time since the project began in 2002. During his last visit, he took part in an evaluation and planning workshop. “This is a crucial component of the project as it will help us learn from activities and results achieved to date, in order to better respond to the needs of the children, their working parents, and participating communities.”

Paul has witnessed first-hand the involvement and commitment of the Indian staff of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, a worldwide umbrella group of construction and allied unions. “But,” he says, “the children themselves are the most impressive. They are not only extremely keen to study but also to improve their lives and those of their families. The children from Bihar State, for example, have developed a moving play that depicts the hardships of child labour and focuses on the benefits of organizing the community and joining unions. The children have performed the play in several parts of India and twice during the World Social Forum in Mumbai, India, in January 2004. What a good way to raise awareness about this particular issue and to highlight one of the solutions.”

Since the project started, many more workers have joined the four participating unions. The unions themselves are becoming more accepted as a force in the community. In this way, the provision of schooling for the children is also helping to build knowledge among the parents about workers’ rights. However, everyone participating in the project clearly understands that the project schools are not permanent, but they do provide a bridge for these children, who will hopefully enroll in government-run schools to continue their education.

Paul says of his last visit: “I was warmly received by the children, the project staff, and the teachers. When we were working together to look at the future of this project, I felt proud of what we have been able to contribute. This project is a practical example of how unions help to eliminate child labour while also assisting workers in precarious jobs to get decent wages and better working conditions. It provides quality education for children, and helps to enforce international labour standards.”