Establishing rights: Govt presents bills to end child, bonded labour

Employers not permitted to hire individuals under 12 years of age in proposed law.

PESHAWAR:

In a move that could play a role in abolishing some of society’s great menaces, the provincial government presented the K-P Prohibition of Employment of Children Bill 2015 and K-P Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Bill 2015 before the assembly.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Law Arif Yousaf placed the bills before the house.

Ending child labour

The Prohibition of Employment of Children Bill aims to bar the employment of adolescents in certain occupations and end employment of children.  Under the law, the government shall, by notification, constitute a committee of a chairman and seven other members to overlook such matters.

Section 3 of the bill states no child shall be employed or permitted to work in any establishment.  Children, not below the age of 12, may engage in light work, alongside family members, for a maximum of two hours per day for the purpose of acquiring skills in a private undertaking or in a school established or recognised by the government for such purpose.

Sub-section 2 lays down that no adolescent (between the ages of 14 to 18) can be employed or permitted to perform hazardous work.

The bill provides that no adolescent shall be required or permitted to work in excess of the number of hours prescribed. It added that work periods will be fixed at no more than three hours a day with at least an hour’s interval. If passed into law, the much-needed legislation would ensure that an adolescent cannot work between 7pm and 8am. Also, an adolescent shall not be allowed to work overtime.

Registering the force

The bill states those occupying an establishment with children working in it must send the name, location and address of the establishment to the local inspector within 30 days of the commencement of this act. The bill further provides that the establishment manager’s name, postal address and nature of work undertaken at the establishment must also be provided to said official. Finally, the bill states the names of the employed adolescent’s parents, his or her date of birth and address have to be sent to the relevant authority.

Penalisation

Section 15 says whoever employs any child in contravention of these laws shall be punishable by a prison term extending up to six months or a fine of up to Rs50,000.

If it is proven that the child was engaged in hazardous work, the fine may increase to Rs100,000, and will be no less than Rs10,000. The jail term may then be extended to three years. The bill states that any citizen, police officer or inspector may file a complaint against an offence under this act and its rules in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Ending bonded labour

The K-P Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Bill 2015 aims at ending bonded labour in the province. Sub-section 1 of Section 3 says the bonded labour system shall stand abolished and every bonded labourer will be free from the moment the act commences. During question hour, the government informed the house that the K-P Oil and Gas Company Limited (KPOGCL) chief executive was drawing a monthly salary of Rs2 million. The session was adjourned till Friday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2015.