Labour Ministry ramps up fight against child labour

In keeping with the United Nations General Assembly's declaration to make 2021 as the international year for the elimination of child labour, the Ministry of Labour has begun a campaign to more effectively tackle the exploitation of children.

A media release from the Ministry of Labour on Friday announced that TT would introduce a series of protocols and initiatives aimed at reducing child labour.

The ministry noted that children were at greater risk of exploitation during the covid19 pandemic and called on employers not to have children below the age of 16 years working.

In the release, Labour Minister Stephen Mc Clashie reminded the public that child labour deprives children of their rights to an education and childhood and could have a potentially negative effect on their physical and mental health.

"Children can suffer long term effects to their health, dignity and mental well-being if they are placed in the labour force at an early age."

"Trinidad and Tobago pledges to support and protect our nation's children and free them from all forms of child labour."

The ministry will be introducing a series of programmes to address problems of child labour, including; The development and implementation of a six-step strategic compliance model for the Labour Inspectorate Unit, the establishment of a child labour protocol, the development of a light work and hazardous list by sector, the development of a situational analysis and conduct of a data mapping exercise, the conduct of primary research by a consultant to assess the situation of child labour in TT, collaboration with key government/non-government agencies and the development of a national action plan for child labour.

The International Labour Organisation will provide technical and financial support to the ministry in these areas.

The public is asked to report any incidents of children below the age of 16 years working to the Labour Inspectorate Unit at 299-0300, Childline at 131 or the Children's Authority at 996.