Domestic Elites, Child Labor Unions, and Child Labor Laws

• In Event: Poster Session: Comparative Politics II

Abstract

We investigate the gap between domestic and international child labor laws in several countries. We are primarily interested in understanding when countries comply or fail to adhere to international child labor laws. In this regard, we emphasize the role of different actors: domestic political elites, the international community, and civil society organizations in moving countries to either comply or dissent with international standards. Within civil society organization we take into consideration the formation of child labor unions across countries and their influence in the shaping of domestic laws. We argue that in countries where child labor organizations have formed, and play a key constituent for politicians, countries lean towards dissent when international laws are incongruent with domestic political elites, or child labor unions demands. We collect domestic child labor laws for several countries and calculate whether they adhere or comply with current international standards, we complement this with data on child labor unions in the same countries as well as the demands of domestic political elites around child labor. Our preliminary findings suggest that domestic political elites and child labor unions play an important role narrowing or widening the gap between domestic and international labor laws. The findings have important implications, key and timely among them, is how government face and handle the unprecedented economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its role in pushing children into exploitative and dangerous child labor.

Authors

• V. Ximena Velasco Guachalla, University of Essex

• Karolina Mathesova, Sciences PO