Labour Ministry to hold Tripartite Consultation Meeting on Child Labour tomorrow

New Delhi, Jan 9 (KNN) The Ministry of Labour and Employment is organizing a Tripartite Consultation Meeting for consideration of Draft Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2016, in the national capital tomorrow.

The Ministry has invited Trade Unions, Employers ‘Associations for the meeting.

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 was enacted on September 1, 2016.

The Amended Rules sought Complete Ban On work or employment of children below 14 Years and linking the age of Child with RTE Act.

It may be mentioned that Child Labour is an important issue on which export orders of  labour intensive industries like Ready-made Garment hinges. In the past often large orders were cancelled by foreign buyers  just on the allegation of use of child labour by the contractor.

MSMEs are the worst suffer of the child labour syndrome as they have neither the capacity nor the resources to provide documentary proof on non use of child labours.

The Draft rules also called for prohibition on work or employment  of  Adolescents ( 14 to 18 yrs) in hazardous occupations and processes.

Immediately after the enactment of the said Amendment Act, a Committee was constituted to frame Rules under the Chairmanship of Joint Secretary, Child Labour. The Committee followed an elaborate consultative procedure in drafting the Rules.

The main features of the Draft Child Labour (Prohibition &Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2017, include - detailed provisions for Prevention of Child Labour have been incorporated in the Rules; Explanation provided for Help, Family & Family Enterprise to bring more clarity and remove ambiguity; Elaborate Provisions to regulate working conditions of artist have been included; Regulations for working conditions of adolescents etc.

The second agenda for discussion includes report of Technical Advisory Committee under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.

After deliberations and consultations also with the civil society the Report of Technical Advisory Committee under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 has submitted its recommendation on the Schedule of the hazardous occupations and processes to the Central Government on 02.01.2017.

It has been recommended that the Schedule would have two Parts to bring clarity - Hazardous occupation and processes in which adolescents and children are prohibited to work. Proposed to have 43 occupations and processes; and List of Occupations and Processes where children are prohibited to HELP in their family or family enterprise (in addition to Part A).

Proposed to have 16 occupations and 59 processes, the revised Schedule would be notified for comments after vetting by Ministry of Law and approval of competent authority.