The Cabinet on Friday approved the ratification of two conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) - the Minimum Age Convention, 1973, and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999.
The Cabinet on Friday approved the ratification of two conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) - the Minimum Age Convention, 1973, and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999.
In a meeting held late Friday evening, the Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the ratification. Of the ILO’s 187 members, 168 countries have ratified the Minimum Age Convention, 1973, (no 138 of ILO). Over 180 members had ratified the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999, (no 182 of ILO) by 2015. India has so far ratified 45 conventions, of which 42 are in force. Among them four are fundamental or core conventions.
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, who has been working to get India to ratify the conventions since 1998, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his efforts. In 1998, he came up with the Global March Against Child Labour that was joined by 7.2 million marchers from around the world over a course of 80,000 kms to demand an international instrument against the worst forms of child labour.
“I congratulate the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Labour and Employment on this historic reform. India’s decision for ratification of Convention 182 and Convention 138 was long overdue in providing justice to our children. After the total prohibition of child labour this is yet another important step in protecting all our children from exploitation and abuse. It now remains a collective responsibility of everyone to do their bit to scourge of child labour from the country,” said Satyarthi via a release. “Let this be the last generation that has been exploited in the name of illiteracy, poverty or helplessness.”
The Worst Forms of Child Labour prohibited under Convention 182 are:
(a) all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict;
(b) the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances;
(c) the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties;
(d) work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.
ILO convention 138 that prescribes the minimum age of employment for children, which is set as fourteen years or such age as may be specified in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, whichever is more.
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