Eliminating Child Labour: The Promise of a Basic Income

Ian Orton

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Objectives of presentation

1. To link the goals of the anti-CL lobby and those of advocates of the BI in a more systematic fashion.

2. To identify how we can develop this link strategically and politically.

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BI and child labour: two ships passing at night

Contact between proponents of the elimination of CL and advocates of the BI has been minimal. This represents a missed opportunity.

The anti-CL lobby remains largely unaware of the BI and that there is an established, credible and rich debate surrounding it.

CL must be afforded greater intellectual and strategic priority in our thinking on the BI, and vice versa.

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Why does BI hold some promise in reducing child labour?

Poverty is often the main cause of CL and a BI could address this.

Conditional cash transfers [CCTs] have demonstrated some promise in reducing CL (i.e., substantial decline in CL in Latin America during 2000-2004).

However, the evidence is not conclusive and further research is needed.

The same tentative optimism and call for more research is also applicable to the BI.

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Potential advantages of using a BI to reduce CL in comparison to CCTs (Part 1)

Administrative Advantages Less administrative costs and less delivery delays;

Building exit strategies into BI programmes would be unnecessary because it is not an transient scheme;

Less moral hazards, potential for corruption or divisive discretion (e.g., the ‘paternalist twitch’ in the early years of Child Support Grant in S Africa);

BI increases general take-up and the take-up of most excluded (e.g. Child Support Grant in South Africa).

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Potential advantages of using a BI to reduce CL in comparison to CCTs (Part 2)

Social Impact

Increases household income and families can therefore decide how best to spend money according to needs;

Provides long-term guaranteed security which enables long-term planning, therefore interrupting social reproduction of CL;

Less stigmatisation attached since every family with children would be entitled to its receipt;

Less possibility of generating perverse effects (i.e. swollen sphere of non-hazardous CL or greater concealment of hazardous CL).

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Benefits of emphasising the elimination of CL to advance the BI

The anti-CL lobby is powerful, well-resourced and possesses considerable political clout.

Emphasising the goal of eliminating CL as an objective and endowing the BI with the capacity to fight CL might make the BI’s chances stronger.

It is more difficult for BI detractors to reject it when the goal of eliminating CL is also present, since CL is an emotive issue.

Strategically-speaking, CL might provide a good point of entry for a BI to mainstream and therefore provide a launching pad to expand the BI agenda further.

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Promoting the BI to the Anti-Child Labour Lobby

Need for evidence of positive impact on CL.

Need for sensitivity to the affordability issue.

Connecting CL with BI contributes to mainstreaming CL concerns.

A Word of Caution CL is a complex multidimensional issue.

BI is likely to be more effective as a preventive rather than corrective measure.

Introduce BI with other integrative and complementary measures linked with eliminating CL.

Need to be wary of the BI becoming a one-issue social policy.

BI is likely to be ineffective against the worst forms of CL (e.g., slavery, prostitution).

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Recommendations for advancing the BI to eliminate CL

Establishing dialogue with the anti-CL lobby would be important (e.g., presenting at CL conferences).

Further research and discourse is needed on this topic, (i.e., to demonstrate fiscal, political plausibility and lessons from case studies).

Identify which agents/agencies might be willing to support the exploration of the relationship between BI and CL.

Need to explore best strategy for introducing BI into a Society (i.e. to the most vulnerable first and then expand as in Brazil).

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Conclusion

To summarise:

Collaboration between proponents of the elimination of CL and advocates of the BI could be strategically rewarding and enriching for both groups.

More specifically, the political chances of a BI are stronger because the goal of eliminating CL adds value and appeal to the proposal.