Labor Dept. Recommends ‘Child-Labor-Free’ Labels

WASHINGTON — How does a U.S. consumer make sure that a toy for Christmas, leather shoes for hiking or other imported goods are not made by children living in near bondage while they toil at a sweatshop overseas?

A Labor Department report recommended on Thursday that U.S. importers and retailers consider developing and expanding voluntary programs for placing labels on imported goods guaranteeing they are not made by children.

The report was endorsed by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who joined Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) three months ago in introducing a bill that would encourage clothing and sporting goods companies to adopt a “child-labor-free” label.

“The sad fact is that far too many of the products we may buy for our loved ones . . . are made by the sweat and toil of children,” said Harkin. “And while these children labor in the shadows, most shoppers are left in the dark.”

The report, released at a news conference by Harkin and Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, describes some of the preliminary labeling programs already in use in the U.S. and abroad.

But officials warned that policing was needed to ensure “the integrity of a child-labor-free label.”

In their examination of present programs, U.S. officials found that “some importers, particularly of hand-knotted carpets and soccer balls, appear to be placing their own child-labor-free labels on products without first ensuring that adequate monitoring systems are in place to substantiate such a claim.”

If child labor is later uncovered at the manufacturing sites, the report said, “the use of such labels could result in a loss of credibility and consumer confidence.”