Lesson learned
In time psychological support is necessary
Chee told Inno that before the task force members arrived, no one has asked what did she feel and what did she really want. Actually, she felt guilty because she thought she was the one that should be responsible for all these.
"So many troubles and mess I made, I do not mean to gain compensation and other additional things from factory K."
"I am worried about my mother and my brother."
"How can I feel at ease and justified at home and school but watching my mother works overtime every day in factory far away from home? "
……
Then, Chee went up to the rooftop. Fortunately, she did not choose to jump. But how many minor labour chose to commit suicide in workplaces just because they did not provided with in time psychological support? We cannot help stopping guess the amount. Except for the minor clients, the guardian and those workers who witness violence or death should also access the psychological support. Therefore, during the counselling of Chee, Lam has been accompanied by the rest of the team who were accredited qualifications of Social Work.
Development perspective instead of rescue perspective
Words like save, rescue and help are frequently used when Child Labour cases are discussed. And that links to the rescue perspective. It focus on in time detachment and it is useful and efficient when there is an emergency related to people's life. That's why many governments, organisations or groups are keen to handle child labour cases through rescue perspective, including Inno before 2020. In 2018, a minor client slapped one of the task force members from Inno and blamed that why the task force members were so cruel to deprive her chance to make money for her dying siblings. After that, Inno began to realise that independent on the rescue perspective to cope with this kind of cases is becoming less and less applicable. It implies the relationship between task force members and clients are unequal, and also lacks a long-term development angle. Development perspective is the upgrade of rescue perspective. It means listen carefully and fully understanding of clients' thoughts and needs, focuses on a more lasting picture. Like providing minor clients with personal development and career enhancement training resources, providing psychological support to build a more powerful resilience.
Establish the Task Force
Inno has formed a task force including four members since the request. The lead of the task force took the responsibility of coordinator. Two team members are operators. And the task force also included one psychological counsellor from external organisation.
Multi-stakeholders Communication
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Tailored Intervention
Work-related injury body check-up
Chee has worked in the position for 9 days. But she did not be arranged to do any types of health appraisal. Referring to the COC from the brand, other counterpart brands and Responsible Buisness Alliance(RBA), the examinations are compulsory. To find out whether Chee's physical condition has impaired due to the 9 days' work, Inno urged brand F and factory K to confirm the occupational safety and health examinations were conducted. Fortunately, all the physical indicators were all good.
Financial compensation
According to the internationally accepted standard and the local regulations, factory K should provide living allowances to Chee with the amount that not lower than the monthly minimum wage in Dongguan. Referring to the past cases, Inno recommended factory K and brand F kept following up till Chee reaches 18. At last, Chee gained her compensation with the amount of CNY 18,900 (CNY 2,100 per month × 9 months) offered by factory K.
Psychological resources connecting and support
Chee thought her brother suffered from depression, so she bought a lot of books related to psychology and counselling, expecting she could make some changes in this situation. The team grasped this clue and asked Chee whether she wanted to do a counsellor for herself for this great pressure. Chee said yes and then it was brand F's turn to make the decision. In the past, when brands and factories address child labour cases, mental health was rarely included in the plan. Therefore, at the beginning, brand F thought psychological support was completely unnecessary and to provide this was out of their duty when addressing this case. Factory K also believed that offering legal and compliant financial compensation and additional training subsidies had fulfilled its responsibilities. The team explained the importance and necessity of psychological support repeatedly, and finally brand F agreed to pay for the first psychological support with the evaluation function.
Career enhancement support
Urged factory K and brand F provide access of vocational education and training
opportunity to Chee referring to the international standard for child labour relief. In order to work in the packaging and labelling position in factory K, Chee gave up the days that ought to be spent on study. Therefore, factory K should be responsible for the continuing education cost and the following support. Inno provided vocational soft skills-related training courses and resources based on ProF, a female empowerment programme.
Lasting follow ups that beyond the case
Except for the actions focus on this case it self, Inno also suggest factory K and
brand F can do more to prevent more cases happen in the future.- Raise the awareness of the significance of the non-judicial grievance mechanism. In factory K, the mechanism equals to Handshake Worker's Hotline. Still, the promotion of the hotline is limited. If the knowledge of the hotline can be expand to the whole factory, that would be of great help to identify similar issues and immediately conduct appropriate interventions.
- Strengthen the verification of identity information during the on-boarding procedure. Factory K was inspired by the communication and promised they would try to contact the local police station for establish a more flexible identity verification mechanism.
- Strict with the audition when cooperate with the employment agency. Factory K has terminate the contract with the agency involved after the case was reported.
