No to child labour in domestic work!

On June 12th, Guyana will join sister nations in the UN to observe, world day Against Child Labour. This year, the theme identified by the UN is, “No to child labour in domestic work.”
This is especially relevant to Guyana in light of recent photographs showing boys carrying logs on their young shoulders and another of boys shovelling sand while they ought to be in school. The logs are reportedly to be used as firewood to cook their meals.
The UN on its website notes, “Around the world, large numbers of children are engaged in paid or unpaid domestic work in the home of a third party or employer. These children can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Their work is often hidden from the public eye, they may be isolated, and they may be working far away from their family home.”
The ILO Convention C182, on the worst forms of Child Labour, highlights four
categories of child labour, including; “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.”
In a survey done by the Guyana National Bureau of Statistics looking at child labour in the Parika area and its environs a few years back, the standard used by the researchers included whether the child worked twice during the school term and whether the child worked during school hours.
As recent as February of this year, local newspapers reported on efforts of the government and others to address child labour.  Minister of Labour, Dr. Nanda Kishore Gopaul, was quoted in the Kaieteur News as saying, “If we want to eliminate child labour, we have to ensure that every child completes secondary education and capitalizes on educational opportunities available at other levels.
We in the Government have recognized that this is a challenge and we have taken steps to ensure that children attend and complete school, but this has been particularly challenging at the secondary level and in hinterland areas where there are fewer schools and schools are located far away from children’s homes.”
The newspaper went on to report that the government had responded with several programmes, including providing free uniforms, transportation  and hot meals, and by expanding existing facilities and building new schools and dormitories, including a new secondary school and dormitory at Kato, Region Eight.
The minister reported that the efforts had borne successes; there have been lower levels of absenteeism and increased attendance, as well as increased number of children completing secondary school.
We do not doubt that there may have been some successes. However, when we see photographs of children carrying firewood and shoveling sand when they ought to be in school, then logically, we must ask, ‘are we deriving maximum benefits from these programmes?
Significant sums are allocated to these programmes. It is important that the intended beneficiaries get the benefits that are due to them. In addition, it is on the 2013 World Day Against Child Labour that the ILO calls for:
·    Governments to create and enforce legislative and policy reforms to eliminate child labour in domestic work and provide decent work conditions and appropriate protection to young workers who have reached the legal working age.
·    ILO member states to ratify and implement ILO Convention 189, which provides clear guidance on how to avoid domestic child labour and how to protect domestic workers.
·    Social partners, civil society organizations, employers’ and workers’ associations, and trade unions to support Convention 189 and to help eliminate child labour in domestic work.