The labour department of the Punjab government said on Monday that it had launched an awareness campaign to combat the rising problem of child labour.
The campaign aspires to enroll underage children doing various jobs in schools ‘and replacing their tools with books’, according to their slogan.
As part of the drive, the department has filed first information reports (FIR) against business owners employing children, with 14 cases registered this month, according to the department.
As part of the campaign, efforts would be taken to stop children under the age of 15 from working. These children will be enrolled them in educational programmes through the Punjab Child Protection Bureau and other organizations, it said.
The campaign would target children employed at roadside cafes and restaurants, workshops, factories, brick kilns, mechanic shops, etc. The department said teams had been formed in that regard. The department said banners were put up at various public locations including commercial areas, bus stops, and at government and non-government organizations.
The director of its Rawalpindi division said the campaign would initiate legal action on the range of infractions under various laws protecting children.
There are currently four laws banning child labour, said Samiullah. They include the Factories Act, 1934, the Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act, 2016, the Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Act, 2016, and the West Pakistan Shops and Establishment Ordinance, 1963.
Under these regulations, children under the age of 15 are barred from participating in child labour.
As part of efforts to enroll children, the department said it was collaborating with the education department and the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
An inspector in the labour department, Abdul Shakoor, said that the FIRs against businesses hiring underage workers were part of the legal process. They were due to be taken up by the courts and the verdicts passed might serve as a precedent and deterrent against child labour, he said.
He added that the child protection bureau was part of the collaborative efforts that envisions enrolling children who are currently working. It includes their registration, after which they would be provided accommodation and food along with educational opportunities, as provided under Article 25-A of the Constitution.
According to labour regulations, minors between the ages of 15 and 18 can be compelled to perform a six-hour shift that includes a break of 30 minutes after three hours and a subsequent three-hour shift, Abdul Shakoor added.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2023.
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