As you may aware, the current global economic crisis hit the people around the world, massive lay off and cause on increasing unemployment. And young people are the most affected of this crisis not only in developing countries but also in developed countries. ILO predicted that global unemployment could increase to 239 million in this year, it is estimated around 100 million people are in Asia. It is jobs crisis to the real people.

On the global economic crisis, young people were 2.8 times as likely to be unemployed than adults at the global level. For an example in Indonesia with over 38.4 million young women and men between the ages of 15 and 24 years. Youth are five times more likely to be unemployed than their adult counterparts. In Timor Leste, about 48% of the population is youth, the ages from 15 - 29 (2004, population Cencus). Due to violence and political turmoil, its impacts of increasing poverty and illiterate, and a huge informal sector which accounts for over 80 per cent of the working population.

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Million children are at work instead of school. The global financial crisis could push an increasing number of children, particulary girls, into child labour. Today is the World Day Against Child Labour. Most child labour is rooted in poverty, often associated with multiple disadvantage. Socio-economic inequalities based on language, race, disability and rural-urban differences remain deeply entrenched. Girls can face particular disadvantages due to discrimination and practices which allocate certain forms of work to girls. Many girls take on unpaid household work for their families, usually more so than boys.

Around the world, an estimated 100 million girls are involved in child labour. Many of these girls undertake similar types of work as boys, but often also endure additional hardships and face extra risks. Moreover, girls are all too often exposed to some of the worst forms of child labour, often in hidden work situations. More, click here

The ITUC has launched a new video spot to highlight the problem and press governments to tackle the exploitation of children more effectively, both through funding quality education and enforcing labour law.

Young UNISON workers called for pounds not pennies at the weekend, after the union’s recent rejection of an offer of just 3p an hour by local government employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Members held up three giant 1p coins as they condemned the 0.5% cent pay offer that has been rejected by the local government unions.

And they urged employers to give them a fair deal.

Young members officer for Wirral local government branch Lara Rowlands said: “An extra 3p an hour is nothing. We deserve a decent offer to help us survive during these difficult times. Read more, click here