Unicef defined child labour as the works that are considered harmful for a child and exceed a minimum number of hours

ILO defined child labour as, damage to children’s health, hamper their education and lead to further exploitation and abuse

ILO also defined the worst form child labour which includes using children in armed forces (i.e. In Africa) ,sexual exploitation like prostitution and pornography, illegal activities like trafficking of drugs etc.

Over exploitation of population.

Decrease of resources.

Decrease in literacy.

Increase of poverty.

Increase of unemployment.

Lack of schooling and daily care.

Limited choices for women.

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986:

The Factories Act, 1948:

The Mines Act, 1952

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act, 2000

The Minimum Wages Act, 1948

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009

• One of the major reasons behind child labour is the poverty whenchildren have no option left other than to work for their survivals

• In the developing countries when the government fails to provide thebasic requirements for the children

• when the only earning member of he family dies or suffering fromserious illness

• Natural calamity like Tsunami, cyclone, flood etc. Also drag childrentowards child labour

The UN published the children’s rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted in 1989.

Article 32 stated that government need to recognise: the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation, likely to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

Article 28 Every child’s right to education

Article 34 Governments must protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse.

European Union (EU) also decided in the meeting of council of Europe that

the children rights should be protected in the EU policy and action.

EU emphasises that Child Labour is a legal obligation based in international

treaties and conventions like convention on the Rights of the Child and ILO

convention 138 and 182.

DRAWBACKS

The Laws on child labour may seem inadequate because even though more than130 country signed in the international conventions for not allowing children to work under 14 or 15 but to some countries these laws are still confusing or vague and not enforced.

The laws to regulate child’s health and safety at work are rarely enforced.

Poor infrastructure like systematic birth registration in the developing countries fails to recognise the actual age of the children and employers take advantage of such loopholes.

According to ILO Director general Juan Somavia reduction rate of child labour is not satisfactory i.e. From 2004 to 2008 only 3% reduction of child labour.

Achievements

The enforcement of Laws on child labour has been increased, for example, in UK Fast food giants McDonald’s have been fined £12,400 for allowing children to work there.

Even third world country like Bangladesh had also enacted the Labour Act in 2006 which prohibits employment of children under 14 years of age

Garment manufacturers of Bangladesh also put an end to the employment of children under 14 years in their 200 factories because there was a threat of boycott from the consumer countries.

Working children, aged 5-17 7.4 million

Working children, aged 5-14 4.7 million

Child labourers, aged 5-17 3.2 million

Children engaged in hazardous labour, aged 5-17

1.3 million

Child domestic workers 421,000

Percentage of Children (aged 5-14) engaged in child labour (2007)

National Slum Tribal

12.8 19.1 17.6

What is the current

situation?

International key regulations had a great impact as it impliedly enforced governments to enact some laws in order to protect children from child labour.

The children of third world countries are the main victims, so its the duty of these international organisations and first world countries to help these children as their government cannot ensure the basic requirements of a child.

However, it will not be the wise to stop working of children, rather proper rehabilitation of their living will be more preferable