Sure I assume that they get paid. If not in currency, perhaps in food or the stuff they manufacture? I remember taking a train through Russia in the early 90s:

Sure I assume that they get paid. If not in currency, perhaps in food or the stuff they manufacture? I remember taking a train through Russia in the early 90s: almost on every stop, there were people selling stuffed toys or lead glass tableware – that's what they've manufactured, and it was their payment. When I can either work or starve to death, I would definitely prefer the former under any conditions. Exploitation of child labor is a consequence of poorly functioning government, not an isolated issue by itself. So if we want to do something with it, we should deal with the source of these problems. Hans Rosling did some great talks on related issues here: http://www.ted.com/speakers/hans_rosling.html http://www.ted.com/speakers/hans_rosling.html