Over 17,000 of these kilns are registered with the appropriate government departments, but there are many more that are unregistered, avoiding the restrictions, the payments, and any hope of (non-existent) regulation. Some of the kilns are "Owner Operated",others are and on leased land. The majority are owned by rich privates and some by government officials. Each kiln can last about 4-5 years before they have stripped the resources of the area, and are no longer viable.
A typical kiln will have about 60 workers, 20-25 families living and working on the property. The owner/operator will provide a very basic house, made from bricks, which is home for between 100-150 people (including children and elderly dependants). The vast majority of these workers are 'bonded' labour - they and their whole family is in debt to the owner/operator and will work until the debt is paid. But most of these people, illiterate and marginalised, have any idea what their current level of debt is.
Each kiln can produce between 200,000 and 600,000 bricks per month, and they pay PKR 507.00 (AUD 5.00) per 1,000 bricks produced, and one kiln owner just outside Islamabad is selling 1,000 bricks for "just PKR 7,500.00" (AUD 75). The average wage paid to a worker is PKR 305.00 (AUD 3.00) per week - but then the manager will deduct PKR 20.00 for each 'imperfect' brick and PKR 20.00 for loan repayment.
Children, from the earliest ages, join their parents in the brick manufacturing business: as youngsters they will gather soil and make and provide mud; some as they get older will become "fire men", keeping the fire burning; and others will load, unload and carry bricks. All this under the watchful eye of the guards who both keep people in and out!
People know that the use of children in the production of bricks (and any industry) is illegal. But how do you convince people not to buy bricks produced by child labour (there is no other option at this time, that any one knows of) - they're cheap, PKR 4-7. If we could produce an Ethical Brick in a Child labour free kiln - the cost would most likely be more. How do you convince people that it matters? How do you get people to say no to child labour? How do you change the circumstances for parents who have no choice but accept that for the family to survive their child must work?
That's what today was about! It will involve advocacy - researching the current context, educating people as to the reality - and then convincing buyers to say no to kilns that use bonded and child labour. It is going to involve lobbying Churches, Mosques, Diplomatic Embassies, Government, NGOs, large National Agents and getting them to commit to an "Ethical Production Policy".
So why not help? Do you know someone in Pakistan? Ask them about their child labour policy. Ask them to start making a noise about this issue. Write to your government's embassy in Pakistan - ask them if they are buying resources from producers who use child labour. Ask the shop owners if the leather jacket you want is from Pakistan - chances are if it is the leather was prepared by a child.
If you wouldn't want your 6 year old working in horrific conditions then do something! Even if it's just educating yourself.
