News

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Thursday June 13, 2013 – The Jamaica government says it is committed to the elimination of all forms of child labour in the country.

“Our determination in this goal is unshakable and we will remain engaged with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the European Union, and other international and local partners in this endeavour,” said Labour and Social Security Minister Derrick Kellier.

The ILO has defined child labour as a form of abuse and according to the ILO Minimum Age Convention of 1973, child labour also refers to any work done by children which is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to them and interferes with their education.

The ILO estimates that children make up nearly 30 per cent of the world’s estimated 50 to 100 million domestic workers.

The Child Care and Protection Act makes it an offence to employ a child under 13 years old. The law, however, makes an exception for children 13 to 15 years old to be employed, but only under circumstances where they are allowed to do only light work.

Kellier said the Jamaica will not condone “in any shape, size or form” the employment of children in hazardous work and that the authorities have increased their capacity to introduce, implement and enforce new legislation for this purpose.

“(Our country) programmes, among other things, seek to strengthen the capacity of national and local authorities, social partners and civil society in the formulation, implementation and enforcement of policies to fight the scourge of child labour,” he said.

Kellier said the authorities are working with the ILO through the Tackling Child Labour through Education (TACKLE/ILO) project office to increase the ability of a range of social partners to play an integral role in policy dialogue and practice in their own organisations.

He said all Jamaicans also have a role to play in the fight against of child labour, noting that many culturally accepted practices and perceptions must be overcome in order to eradicate the practice.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Advisory Board, TACKLE Project, Errol Miller, said approximately 16,000 children are involved in some form of economic activity in Jamaica.

He said the figure is contained in a survey carried out by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica in 2002. The study revealed that the chief child labourers were street children, including market vendors, mainly in urban areas; commercial agricultural workers; urban formal sector workers, and domestic workers.

“The message is apt for Jamaica – we are also guilty of child labour,” he said. Mr. Miller therefore called on all Jamaicans to say a resounding “No, to child labour!” (CMC)