Foulball Campaign Update
Foulball
was the name of a soccer ball campaign spearheaded by the
International Labor Rights Fund during the mid- to late 1990s,
and in which United Methodist Women participated. It was a
reaction to the use of forced child labor in soccer ball
stitching in Sialkot, Pakistan. The campaign culminated in the
1997 agreement between the Pakistan soccer ball industry, the
International Labor Organization, and UNICEF to remove children
from the production of soccer balls, provide them with
educational opportunities, and create internal and external
monitoring systems for the soccer ball industry.
Recently, the Global March Against Child Labor
updated the situation by stating that FIFA has yet to fully
comply with their own labor practice code that promises no use of
child labor and living wages in its licensed goods production.
"We hope that UNCIEF is aware of FIFA's current lack of will
to truly protect the rights of all children before entering into
this partnership," says Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson of
the Global March Against Child Labor. In recent years, FIFA has
taken steps in the right direction by sponsoring inspection
systems in Pakistan and India to eradicate child labor. However,
these measures only apply to a small fraction of the 17,000
FIFA-licensed goods and only deal with part of the code. The
inspection pays attention only to the actual use of child labor
but disregards the quality of working conditions and wages for
adult workers in both India and Pakistan.
Furthermore, the report: "Dark Side of
Football" which examines the reality of soccer ball
stitchers in Punjab, India, reveals that there are still children
working in India's export soccer ball industry for companies such
as Adidas, Mitre, and Mundo. The pay for adult soccer ball
stitchers in Punjab averages Rs. 30 (US 60 cents) per day, barely
enough to buy a liter of milk and a half loaf of bread. This
amounts to Rs.38 less per day than what they should get paid if
they were guaranteed the legal minimum wage. The All Pakistan
Federation of Trade Unions (APFOL) reports the similar situation
in Pakistan.
Earlier this year, the Global March launched a
campaign to address the issue of child labor in soccer ball
production, which will culminate with the 2002 FIFA World Cup. On
31 May 2001, FIFA received an appeal from the Global March
urging them to implement their policy on child labor and living
wage.
According to the Global March Against Child
Labor, UNICEF should take this partnership as an opportunity
to guarantee the rights of all children - especially
those hidden in the shadows of soccer ball production - to
receive a quality education, to play, and have a meaningful
childhood.
UNICEF is certainly able to demand that FIFA
sets up a transparent monitoring mechanism and
rehabilitation program for all former child laborers.
Together UNICEF and FIFA are in the position to ensure that no
child is deprived of their chance to blossom to their fullest
potential. For more information, please contact:
United Methodist Women's Involvement
Women's Division directors voted at the 1996
annual meeting to endorse the Foulball Campaign. This campaign
advocates on behalf of the exploited children working in the
soccer ball sporting goods industry, who should be liberated,
educated, and rehabilitated, and have restored to them their
right to thrive. This campaign also speaks on behalf of adults,
who are employed in this industry, and requests just and fair
remuneration and the right to collectively bargain. Finally,
these organizations demand the restoration of health, welfare,
and vitality to the individual, family, community, nation, and
greater society beyond.
Use of Child Laborers
According to Dan McCurry, coordinator of this
campaign, "The soccer ball industry imports 80% of balls
sold in the U.S. from a very small region of eastern Pakistan,
where millions of balls are made by children under the age of
14." Other countries using child laborers include China and
Indonesia. This industry uses child laborers because their
fingers are small, so they can sew tight stitches. This often
leads to crippling. They begin working 18-hour days around age
six, and they receive no education.
UMW Support of Campaign
United Methodist Women (UMW) support this
campaign in cooperation with the Child Labor
Coalition and the International
Labor Rights Fund.
For more information, contact Sung-Ok Lee, 475 Riverside Drive, #1502, New York, NY 10115 or call
(212) 870-3766.
See also:
Mission Update contents
Women's
Division
United Methodist Women