The International labour Organisation ILO, has called on world leaders to embrace policies and actions that will mitigate the rising statistics of child labour globally.
Addressing the on going 111th session of the International Labour Conference ILC in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, the Director General of the ILO, Mr Gilbert Houngbo, called on the international community to support “greater social justice and step up the fight against child labour.”
The ILO sets aside 12th of June every year to bring to the fore the negative and damaging impact of child labour across the globe.
The address of the Director General of the ILO in line with the commemoration of the day highlighted the global dangers of child Labour calling for immediate actions to eradicate the menace.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Social Justice for All. End Child Labour”, but the ILO said that what is happening world over to children who are supposed be in school and taken care of by their parents and guardians is “the very opposite of social justice.”
According to Mr Houngbo, “For the first time in 20 years, child labour is on the rise, 160 million children, almost one-in-10 worldwide, are in child labour.
“What’s worse, half – 80 million – are in the most hazardous forms of child labour; that’s work with a real threat to their physical and mental health”.
He dismissed the notion that child labour happens because parent are bad and cannot take care of their wards saying the practice springs from a lack of social justice.
Decent work for adults
He said the antidote to poverty-driven child labour is decent work for adults, so they can support their families and send their children to school, not to work.
“Decent work means ending forced labour, creating safe and healthy workplaces, and letting workers organise and voice their needs.
“It means ending discrimination because child labour often affects marginalized groups.
“We must step up our fight against child labour, by supporting greater social justice. If we do this, an end to child labour is not just possible, it is within reach”, he said.
In an interview with Voice of Nigeria, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, a Civil Society ally to the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC who is also a delegate to the conference, said the call by the ILO Director General is a wake up call explaining that “its more than a call for social justice”.
He said there was need for governments to do everything possible to mitigate child labour in the world.
According to Mr Nwagwu, “the call is more than that of social justice, the call is to end those statistics he reeled out because they are mind boggling.
“Almost 80 million children around the world are seen in hazardous working conditions, arising from the fact that their parents do not have decent work to take care of their families.
“It is important that governments around world creates enabling conditions that makes work enjoyable”, he said.
The ILO Director General, during the opening of the conference called on all to make social justice a priority issue on the global agenda.
Houngbo, stressed the need to “systematically integrate the social agenda into all major international, regional and national policies and actions to fight growing economic disparities.”
The 111th session of the ILC which started on the 5th of June will end on the 16th of June 2023.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms Kachollom Daju, is leading the Nigerian delegation to the conference.
Lateefah Ibrahim
