Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg
A Twitter user made the dubious claim that Singapore was a place where children were sold to textile factories, on Monday, Oct. 13.
The tweet mentioned "an H&M blouse made by a ten year old in Singapore whose starving family sold them to a textile factory for $180 USD", in what seemed to be a critique of a fictional newscaster.
"not every country in southeast asia is the same country"
When others highlighted how unlikely it was that the situation described was happening in Singapore, with one reply saying that "not every country in southeast asia is the same country".
In a reply, the user issued a snarky response and said that "Singapore is not even remotely free from child labor", attaching a screenshot from the humanium.org, the website of a children's rights Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
Screenshots of the original tweet and the resulting exchange were captured in a Facebook post by mrbrown:
Made account private and changed username
Before the end of the day on Oct. 13, however, the user had apparently decided to disengage from the conversation, by making their account private, and eventually changing the username.
Screenshot from Twitter.
The user also blocked at least one other person who tried to highlight the error:
Are children sold to textile factories in Singapore?
The user's initial tweet claimed that Singapore was a place where children could be sold to textile factories.
The user also went on to insist that "the Singapore example I used above is a specific example from a article on child labor practices, not something I pulled out of my ass."
However, the article cited as evidence does not make mention of this practice.
Is Singapore "not even remotely free from child labor"?
Children can in fact work in Singapore, under certain limited circumstances.
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website, the minimum age for children to work is 13.
Those between 13 and 15 are considered to be "children" and can only have "light duties" in non-industrial settings, and can work in industrial settings if they are working with family members.
Those who are 15 and above, but below 16, are considered to be "young persons" and their employers must notify MOM if they are required to work in an industrial setting.
Screenshot via MOM website.
Dangerous work — such as working underground or attending to moving machinery — is deemed "unsuitable" for those under 16 as well.
School is work too
According to MOM, hours spent at school are counted toward the daily limit that children and young persons can be employed for manual labour.
Children are allowed to perform manual labour for up to six hours each day, including their time at school. For young persons, the limit is seven hours.
What is "child labour"?
While children can indeed be employed from the age of 13, this alone does not mean that Singapore has issues with "child labour".
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), "child labour" is "often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development."
The ILO, an agency under the United Nations, also states:
"Not all work done by children should be classified as child labour that is to be targeted for elimination. Children’s or adolescents’ participation in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling, is generally regarded as being something positive. This includes activities such as helping their parents around the home, assisting in a family business or earning pocket money outside school hours and during school holidays."
Totally unrelated but follow and listen to our podcast here
Top image from mrbrown on Facebook and via Twitter