Chinyere Bassey
Lagos – The International Labour Organisation ( ILO) says improving legal protection and social dialogue between governments, social partners and other stakeholders are critical aspects in battling child labour.
A report by the ILO on Monday said there should also be improvement in labour market governance, social protections and access to quality education to tackle child labour.
According to the report, “Ending Child Labour by 2025,’’ efforts should be stepped-up to “consign child labour to the dustbin of history”.
The report said that in September 2017, 152 million children between 5 and 17 years were almost one in 10 in child labour globally.
It said that legislation alone would not be able to eradicate child labour but that at the same time, it won’t be possible to eradicate child labour without effective legislation.
”More than 99.9 per cent of the world’s children between 5 and 17 years are covered by the ILO’s Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) , which 181 countries have ratified,” the report said.
The report said that ensuring that the standards were legalised as well as ensuring effective monitoring and enforcement of existing child labour laws were major challenges.
It said that there was need for stronger labour inspection system as it rarely reached workplaces in the informal economy, where most child labour was found.
”Work for adults and youth of legal working age that delivers a fair income and security means that households do not have to resort to child labour to meet basic needs or to deal with economic uncertainty.
”Well-designed labour market policies focused on where most child labour persists – in the rural economy and the informal economy – can help curb the demand for child labour.”
The report called for the establishment of regulatory frameworks to address child labour in supply chains.
The report said that the most effective way to stem the flow of school-aged children into child labour was to improve access to quality schooling. (NAN)
