Orientation workshop for national trade union leaders on child labour and IPEC

Child labour is a social evil. Now Government is determined to combat this lingering problem. Both International and National efforts are on to bring down the number of child labourers and to make them better human beings. Several steps have already been taken which also include legislation by the Government of India, and several non-governmental organisations are taking deep interest in combating this tragedy. One significant step taken is to involve the trade unions and to sensitize them to take up child labour issues on their agenda and action plan to promote interventions. A workshop was organised by the National Resource Centre on Child Labour (then known as Child Labour Cell) of the National Labour Institute. NOIDA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Government of India, and IPEC-ILO, New Delhi. To achieve this objective national trade union leaders from all major trade unions participated in the workshop.

Encouraged by this workshop the trade unions have started their own programmes on eradication of child labour. For instance, the Indian National Rural Labour Federation, affiliated to the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) has started programmes on child labour in 14 districts of West Bengal. Under the auspices of this organisation, 120 centres with 250 child labourers in each centre have been functioning. In total 30,000 child labourers are being covered with the help of their own workers. No funds from local, national or International Agencies have yet been made available.

Likewise the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), have also started their own programmes on eradication of child labour in some eleven specific trades. News have also been received by the NRCCL that trade unions have created separate cells in their own organisations to deal exclusively with the problem of child labour. This indicates that a multiplier effect has set in. And this is what we have had in our mind when this workshop was planned and organised for the trade unions. It is hoped that this multiplier effect will gain momentum.

This publication contains the valuable papers and other related information and details of proceedings. It is hoped that the publication will be useful to one and all.