Call for legislation to stop children from working in hazardous industries

Leading child rights experts and activists emphasized the urgent need to ensure that no child is employed in hazardous industries or workplaces, advocating for amendments to Sindh’s existing labour and child protection laws to prioritize the “best interests” of children.

This call was made during a consultation session on legislative and policy analysis of the Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act 2017, organized by the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC), in collaboration with the Sindh Judicial Academy (SJA) at the SJA office on Friday.

The consultation was attended by a diverse group of stakeholders, including Iqbal Detho, chairman of the SHRC; Tahseen Fatima, secretary of Sindh’s Human Rights Department; officers from various government departments, representatives of the International Labour Organization (ILO); members of the judiciary; legal experts and civil society activists.

Detho highlighted a proposed amendment -- Criminal Laws (Sindh Amendment) 2024 -- to insert Section 374-A to the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 to ensure that no child under 18 years is employed as a domestic worker.

He said Pakistan is a signatory of the ILO Convention 182, which prohibits the worst forms of child labour and sets the hazardous work age limit at 18. The proposed amendment in PPC ensures that children are not employed in hazardous conditions that affect their progress, health, education and mental, and emotional well-being.

Detho noted the absence of effective criminal liability provisions for employers exploiting child labour. He suggested bridging these gaps.

ILO Representative Sagheer Ahmed emphasized that punitive measures should be a last resort, suggesting that solutions must address the root causes of child labour, such as poverty and lack of access to education.

Tahseen Fatima pointed out that labour laws are ineffective in special economic zones (SEZs) and export processing zones (EPZs). She also noted inadequate recruitment of labour inspectors, which is causing ineffective implementation of the labour laws.

Child rights expert Barrister Rida Tahir proposed adding definitions for “child domestic worker” to the law. “The best interest of the child must remain the cornerstone of any legislative reform,” she remarked. She highlighted that parents and the vulnerable persons should not be criminalised.

Reejhumal Sajnani, law officer from the Labour Department, underscored the state’s responsibility in eliminating child labour. He further highlighted the need for automated registration systems to monitor child workers and prevent exploitation. He pointed out that the inspector of the Labour department have registered over 400 cases of child labour during only one month of November 2024 in Sindh. The cases are pending in the labour courts, he added.