-Labour Minister
The Ministry of Labour in the coming months will be aggressively pursuing its campaign against child labour to eliminate this problem which is being experienced globally.
Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir made this announcement on the National Communications Network (NCN), Region Six, during the Ministry’s outreach programme to the region over the period March 10 to 13.
The Minister noted that child labour continues to be a major issue and reiterated that employers found guilty of employing children under the age of 15 will be prosecuted.
Explaining the difference between child labour and child work, Minister Nadir pointed out that persons who are found to be preventing children from gaining an education during school hours will also be prosecuted since there is need for every child to developed fully and to have an opportunity to learn and enjoy a reasonable amount of leisure time.
“If you are going to take your children and deny them an opportunity for play and recreation and education, then you are engaging in child labour; we are going to be hyping up our anti-child labour programme even more in the next few months,” the Minister stated.
Child labour occurs when children under 18 are forced to work, resulting in exploitation by employers.
Through child labour, children are prevented from gaining an education and skills that will lead to adulthood and decent work opportunities. This is seen as contributing to poverty.
In Guyana, the minimum age for admission to employment is 15, following the ratification of Convention 138 in 1998. Prior to this, the minimum age for employment was 14.
Over the years, the Labour Ministry has made significant in addressing and reducing child labour. This can be noted through the establishment of the National Steering Committee on Child Labour in 2003, and government’s poverty reduction programme which also targets the elimination of child labour.
Eliminating child labour is also in keeping with the National Convention of the Rights of the Child which was sanctioned in 1991. (GINA)