US firms under investigation for child labour allegations

October 4th, 2023

Two of the largest US poultry processing firms, Tyson Foods and Perdue Farms, are under investigation by the Department of Labor over allegations they hired migrant children to clean slaughterhouses, according to reports.

The investigation follows a New York Times report into child labour in the US, which alleged that children worked in both facilities.

A DOL spokesperson said: “There are currently US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigations open at Perdue and Tyson Foods.

“No additional details can be provided as the investigations are ongoing.”

Former secretary of labor Robert Reich recently wrote on the subject in the Guardian, highlighting that serious child labour violations are on the rise in the US, noting research by the Economic Policy Institute, which found violations of child labour law increased 37% across 2022 and 2023.

He noted that in Arkansas, Republican governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Youth Hiring Act of 2023 in May which makes it easier for companies to employ children.

Furthermore, bills to weaken child labour protections have been introduced in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota, said Reich.

Investors are increasingly taking workers’ rights into consideration, as part of their ESG approach.

Last month, investor coalition ShareAction wrote to the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to design international reporting standards for human and worker rights and called on the organisation to prioritise human rights.