The enforcement of Laws on child labour has been increased since these regulations came into effect. For example, in UK Fast food giants McDonald’s have been fined £12,400 after admitting 20 offences of illegally employing schoolchildren (The Guardian, 1 August 2001).[1]
Third world country like Bangladesh had also enacted the Labour Act in 2006[2]. This new law prohibits employment of children under 14 years of age, as well as prohibiting hazardous forms of child labour for persons under age 18. However, the law does not provide a strong enforcement mechanism for the child labour provisions. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has recently adopted a National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2010, which provides a framework to eradicate all forms of child labour by 2015. UNICEF was one of many stakeholders to provide feedback on this policy.[3]Moreover, a threat of a consumer boycott of their exported products was one reason why garment manufacturers in Bangladesh decided to put an end to the employment of children under 14 in their 200 factories.[4]
[1]McDonald’s fined over child labour (2010) <http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/legal/search/commentarysubmitForm.do > accessed 26thoctober 2010
[2]Child Labour in Bangladesh (2010) < http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/Child_labour.pdf> accessed 23rd October 2010
[3] Child Labour in Bangladesh (2010) < http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/Child_labour.pdf> accessed 23rd October 2010
[4]Child Labour in Bangladesh (2010) <http://www.bdix.net/sdnbd_org/world_env_day/2001/sdnpweb/sdi/international_day/childrens_day/bd&childlabour.htm> accessed 25th October 2010
Interesting information,,, I think the regulations are playing major role on reducing child labour...
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see that lot of the countries are coming forward including the third world countries, so that is a positive sign towards the goal they set 2016.
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