…child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton fields.

Uzbek human rights activists to organize rally and picket to stop child labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields

The Uzbek human rights activists are going to organize the rally on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 with the purpose to stop child labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields. The meeting is scheduled to noon time at the Embassy of Uzbekistan at 1746 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, DC.

“As young people across the United States have returned to school, children in Uzbekistan are being removed from their classes in order to pick cotton during the current harvest season. As part of a

long-standing government policy, Uzbek state officials order millions of children as young as 10 years old and their teachers to leave school and harvest cotton under hazardous working conditions. Cotton

picked by Uzbek children is then used in the clothes we wear in the U.S.” indicates the announcement, distributed by the Uzbek human rights activists. They urge to join them in telling the government of Uzbekistan that enough is enough. “No more forced labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry!” says another part of the message.

The event is sponsored by AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, Child Labor Coalition, International Labor Rights Forum, Not for Sale Campaign, SEIU and Workers United.