Children Miners in Africa & Canadian Companies

[Strimkind]

Rant Warning.

A recent article on the Globe and Mail details the status of child miners at the Kipushi Mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Although the DRC is not the most stable of Africian countries, it appears that there is a visible (and shameful) Canadian connection. Ivanplats Ltd has purchased the mining rights to that mine however claims that it only has control of the underground mine and nothing that occurs on the surface. The State owned Gécamines currently runs the operations at the mine.

Those operations were in conjunction with Adastra Minerals which was purchased in 2006 by First Quantum Minerals which is a Vancouver BC based company. FQM is currently in a dispute with the DRC over the mining rights to the Kipushi mine.

What is it with Mining Corporations getting involved with Africian Mining operations that often involve unethical operations that including children miners, poor safety, and minimal pay. I can understand the potential of mines in Africa, but the total lack of human rights of the miners themselves surprises me to no end.

End Rant.

Alright, got that off my chest. Having a young child and reading how others are treating children in other countries can make one extra sensitive about such things.

[Macfury]

I can only add one thought--better to work to ban dangerous child labour than to attempt to ban all child labour. In some countries, a blanket ban would lead to privation of the children themselves.