Editorial
Children in hazardous occupation
What the law can't do, awareness can
Out of a total of 74 lakh engaged in child labour all over the country as many as 13 lakh children are trying to make a living out of most hazardous occupation such as work in motor garages and workshops that include welding shops, too. They are mostly concentrated in and around the capital city. Boys and girls are often required to work from 7am through 7pm and that too without pay at least initially. The employers justify non-payment of remuneration on the ground that these children are receiving hands-on training free of charge. Payment of remuneration will be considered only after completion of the "apprenticeship" that may take at least as long as a year. According to a joint survey conducted by Unicef and ILO, children in Bangladesh are involved in 49 categories of hazardous work. It is interesting to note that Bangladesh has identified only 21 categories as hazardous for children. It is of some consolation however that the draft policy document covering this issue that was prepared by the Ministry of Labour and Employment as early as June last year will be presented before the Council of Advisers next month for approval. The draft document contains a proposal that no one below the age of 18 is to be engaged in any occupation perceived to be hazardous for children. It is worthwhile to note that such work is banned by virtue of the Workers' Compensation Act, 1923, the Children's Employment Act, 1938 and the Child Rights Convention of the UN. Be that as it may, it must be said, that child labour situation with its various compulsive factors and dimensions in Bangladesh could neither be regulated nor improved upon through legislation, enactment or declarations. Side by side with laws and regulatory measures, we need to implement more and more forward looking projects like the "basic education for hard-to-reach urban working children" that aims at imparting skill to as many as two lakh children between the age 10 and 14 to help them earn a living with a certain level of dignity eventually. On the other hand, alongside such projects, we need to build comprehensive social awareness, understanding and appreciation of the stakes involved in child labour. The ILO convention 2001 relating to the most degrading forms of child labour has been ratified by us, but we are yet to live up to it. So, the sensitisation programme should be targeted to the employers as well. We have already neglected our children, for too long, particularly those belonging to the poor and the disadvantaged segments. There should be synchronised efforts by the government, NGOs and the media to address the issues of child labour based on awareness building across the country.
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