LettersEnding youth labour exploitation should be on global agenda
- Readers discuss how young people are vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace, and the need for companies to assess the outcomes of their social programmes at different stages
The Global Peace Summit held in Doha, Qatar, last month brought together young representatives from around the world to discuss pressing issues, including the alarming prevalence of youth internship exploitation around the world.
As a fully funded delegate, I had the opportunity to participate in discussions on this matter. One of the distressing practices that came to light during the summit was the overreliance of companies on interns as a source of cheap labour. There are companies that employ a large number of interns while maintaining only a minimal full-time staff. Once the internship period concludes, a new cohort of interns is brought in. These companies thus have a sustainable supply of inexpensive labour.
Unfortunately, this approach often hinders interns’ ability to learn from experienced professionals. Some companies even pressure them to sign letters exempting them from employee or minimum wage protection, exploiting their vulnerability.
It is essential for international organisations to take the lead and propose measures to governments worldwide to address this exploitation. One such measure is the establishment of a standard percentage for the proportion of interns versus full-time staff, ensuring that internships do not become a system of abuse. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that interns are not exempt from employee protection, safeguarding their rights and well-being. Furthermore, a list of companies earning more than a billion US dollars while not paying their interns should be published by a third-party organisation.
At the summit, deceptive labour practices were discussed. Youth have been deceived into working in prison-like compounds in Cambodia and Myanmar, where they were forced to engage in cyber fraud for criminal syndicates. Around 120,000 people in Myanmar and 100,000 people in Cambodia have been coerced into engaging in cyber fraud.
While it takes time to address corruption, international youth organisations can play a crucial role in verifying companies through testimonials and videos, creating a trusted platform for youth workers around the world.