Govt fails to curb child labour in outgoing year

The Labour Welfare Department of the Rawalpindi division failed to curb the scourge of child labour in the year 2021.

The department’s performance could not go beyond lodging a few FIRs against child labour. A large number of restaurants, brick kilns, and auto workshops continue to employ children in violation of the child labour ban. Little angels, unaware of their future, continue to work and tolerate scolding and harsh treatment at the hands of their employers to make both ends meet.

The Labour Welfare Department has the responsibility not only to eliminate the scourge of child labour and make children useful citizens of society but also to help them get education besides taking action against those involved in engaging children for work.

During the outgoing year, the Labour Welfare Department also failed to provide any meaningful help to thousands of children employed by businesses, brick kilns, bakers, auto workshops, furniture factories and households in the Rawalpindi city and Cantonment areas.

One of the major reasons for parents to send their children for work is their precarious and weak financial position. In the past, the Punjab government had implemented a package through the Labour Welfare Department to do away with child labour.

Under the package, legal action used to be taken against those found employing children for work. Under the package, apart from bearing the educational expenses of the children, their parents were also provided with financial assistance. However, the present government did away with the package, forcing parents to send their children to work instead of schools,

Labour Welfare Department Rawalpindi Division Director Chaudhry Fazal Hussain said that several FIRs have been registered against those involved in child labour and referred the cases to courts. He said that poor parents force their children to work to make a living. He said that after the package was withdrawn, the labour department did not have the resources to pay for the education needs of the poor children and their parents.

The official said that effective legal action was needed to eradicate the scourge of child labour which required a comprehensive and effective plan.

Social activist and political leader Syed Raza Ahmad Shah said that there was no concept of child labour in a welfare state. It is a violation of basic human rights, he said.

He said that when parents were compelled to send their children to work, it was a complete failure of the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2021.