The international labour organisation and legislation relating to child labour

Abstract

Child labour has posed a challenge to the society since the industrial revolution. It is considered as an economic necessity. Child labour destroys the physical and mental development as a result of untimely employment, which snatches away leisure, playtime and a carefree life. As early as 1959, the General Assembly of United Nations Organisation adopted the declaration of the rights of the child. This declaration provided for special protection and care to a child in order to develop in an atmosphere of freedom and dignity. However, even after four decades, much remains to be achieved. Unprecedented attention was drawn to the problems of child labour with the declaration of the year 1979, as the year of the Child. The general awareness created on the causes, employment relations, problems of child labour has resulted in legislation by a number of countries. This paper examines the problems and causes of child labour, which exist to a large extent in third world countries and to some extent in developed countries. The article also focuses on the employment relations and the legislation introduced by various countries to prohibit and reduce child labour. According to the estimates made by the International Labour Organisation in 1980, a year after the declaration of the 'International year of the Child', the number of working children reached an alarming proportion of 50 million around the world. The highest rate of child labour is found in less developed nations like Africa, followed by Asia and Latin America. In these countries child labour is rampant both in the organised and unorganised sectors. It is found in rural as well as urban areas. However, most child labour is found in family or traditional sectors, where children work without any payment. Every third household in India has a working child. Most of the t hird world countries have made an attempt to combat child labour through legislation. However, child labour continues to exist, because a majority of these legislation deal with the regulation and prohibition of child labour and do not focus on the abolition of child labour.