Child Labour: Issues and Challenges 307 CHAPTER -25 Child Labour: Issues and Challenges Dr. B. Sur esh Lal & Mr. B. Bichu LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. It help to understand the child labour in India and World 2. It provides the reasons for child labour, problems, and safe guards. Introduction The prevalence of child labour is one of the most important problems confronting the world at large, especially developing countries such as India. Millions of children are engaged in hazardous situations, or conditions, such as working in miner, working with chemicals and practicides in agriculture or working with dangerous machinery. India continues to host the largest number of child labourers in the world to day. According to the census 1991, 11.28, according to census 2001, there were 12.7 and according to 2011 there were 21.39 million economically active children in the age group of 5-14 years. UNICEF defines child labours as work that exceeds a minimum number of hours, depending on the age of a child and on the type of work. Such work is considered harmful to the child and should therefore be eliminated. The child labourers socioeconomic and health conditions are vulnerable. According to ILO, child labour includes children permanently leading adult 308 A Hand book of Career Development Indian Perspectives lives working long hours for low wages under conditions damaging to their health and to their physical and mental development, sometimes separated from their families, frequently deprived of meaningful educational and training opportunities that could open up for them a better future. Informal sector of the ‘rural and urban economies of the develop­ing countries is an important source, of employment for a major chunk of labour force particularly, child-aiml women labour. Though the sectoral distribution of working children differs from country to country yet the child labour is predominantly confined to agricultural sector followed by services and industry. The working children themselves may not be productive but are capable of relieving the adults for productive employment by engaging themselves in domestic chores and looking after younger children in the home. This way, they allow their parents to spend more time ,oh income generating activities. They also free adults to enable their migration to the areas of high employment. In the urban areas child labour exists both in the formal as well as informal sector enterprises, though its presence in the latter is more frequent. In small manufacturing enterprises which are spread over wide locations and can ignore legal restrictions, the children often work along with their elder relatives and friends. They are possibly not paid directly but indirectly through a supplementary wage paid to the main worker. 7 The main occupations where the children are employed in the urban sector are those which do not require heavy labour. The packing, pasting, labeling and wrapping etc., are the main activities of the chil­dren working in small industries. Domestic servants, workers in hotels and restaurants, canteens, wayside shops and establishments or as hawk­ers, rag pickers, newspaper sellers, peddlers, coolies, shoeshines, ven­dors or helpers in repair shops are the main occupations of the working children in the urban areas. The construction work is another activity which also attracts children. In this context, child labour is considered a source Child Labour: Issues and Challenges 309 of cheap labour and means of quick profits by their employers. The supply of child labour always exceeds the demand for labour. Consequently, child labourers do not have any bargaining power and are more easily exploited by their employers. They are employed at much lower wages than adults\ and made to work for longer hours. Amongst the various causes of child labour, unemployment, poverty and indebtedness of the households are the most important. Many parents secure advances from the landlords or the employers and return the loans in terms of child labour. Even in India, the parents are paid directly by the landlords and the children are’ used for debt repayment. In sonie cases the children are compelled to migrate temporarily to the nearest cities or the urban areas of adjoining States to earn the necessary subsistence. In most of the developing countries, the parents depend upon their children to assist them in performing important work at home or out­side. In the absence of any social security measures the dependence on children increases and in many cases the working children are the main or the only support for their parents iii the old age. In this way, the children of the poor are economically valuable to their parents as a source of labour contributing to household income and social security in the old age. World Scenario According to census 2011, there were 255 million economically active children in the age group of 5-14 years. In India the extent of child labour is not as large as in Turkey, Thailand, Bangladesh. Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia, Mexico and Egypt. It is estimated around 5.2 per cent of the total labour force in India as against 27.3 per cent in Turkey, 20.7 per cent in Thailand. 19.5 per cent in Bangladesh. 18.8 per cent in Brazil, 16.6 per cent in Pakistan, 12.4 per cent in Indonesia, 11.5 per cent in Mexico and 8.2 per cent in Egypt. However, in Srilanka the child labour accounts for only 4.4 per cent of the total 310 A Hand book of Career Development Indian Perspectives labour force. Even the workforce participation rate of chil­dren in the age group 10-14 years in India (10.4 per cent) is less than Bangladesh (33.3 per cent), Nepal (22 per cent) and Pakistan (11.6 per “‘cent), but greater than Indonesia (8 per cent) and Srilanka (1.8 per cent). In India, as elsewhere, no proper estimates of child labour are available. Various social scientists and non-governmental organizations have estimated their own figures depending upon their methodology and definition of child labour. Thus, the estimates of child labour are not exact and vary from source to source. However, according to the ILO, India contributes to about a third of Asia’s child labour and a fourth of World’s working children. According to various social scientists, with estimates varying between 60 to 115 million, India has the largest number of working children in the world. An important feature of child labour in India is that nearly eleven to eighteen million working children are street children and approximately fifteen million children work as bonded labourers. In India, if all the children under 15 years of age who are not attending schools are considered as child labourers then the figure of child labour runs into one hundred million. More recently, in 1997 UNICEF estimated “child labourers in India at 73 million of whom 15 million are said £0 be bonded and stated that the condition of 70.6 million in the age group of 5.14 years who had not gone to school was not known. A Baroda based Operational Research Group placed the estimate of child labour in India for 1985 at 44 million. The study further reported that one-sixth of the working children are of tender age, every third household has a working child and even’ fourth child in the age group of 5-15 years is employed. Even the Ministry of Education (1985) reported that no exact figure of child labour in India is available but the number of working children here 11133' be nearly 4 crore. The Ministry of Labour has estimated the child working population in the country as 1.5 crore. Child Labour: Issues and Challenges 311 The Planning Commission of India has pointed out that the extent of child labour in India is on the increase overtime. In 1985, the child labour under the age of 14 years was 17.5 million, in 1990, 18 million and in 1995, 20 million. Even the Commission on Labour Standards has reported 25 million working children in the country with a growth rate of 4 per cent per annum. A plan outlay, it is estimated, of 1500 crore is required to abolish the child labour totally. According to 1971 census 10.7 million children were working in India for their living. National Sample Survey Organisation estimated the child labour force as 16.25 million on 1.3.1978 (14.68 million rural and 1.57 million urban) and 17.58 in 1985. The survey has shown that the extent of child labour among male children is higher than among female children. Also its magnitude is higher in the rural areas than in the urban areas. According to Census estimates the number of child labourers (5-14 years) was 13.6 million in 1981 which reduced to 11.2 million in 1991. Thus, the Census estimates though show a progressive decline in the number of child labourers over the years yet several other surveys by Non-Governmental Organisations have shown that the problem of child labour has been on an increase over decades. Various estimates of child labour generated by a variety of sources make it difficult to draw inference, whether child labour in India has increased or decreased overtime. However, it is obvious that the country accommodates one third of the world’s child labour force which contributes substantially (nearly 20 per cent) to the Country’s Gross domestic product. On an average, in India, children contribution to household income is between 20 and 30 per cent. While child labour is continuously being employed, not much is known about the contribution of child labour to the household income. Moreover, not many empirical studies exist on the subject in the State of Punjab, which is one of the most developed States of India in terms of its per capita income. The present study is a modest attempt in this direction. 312 A Hand book of Career Development Indian Perspectives Historically, child labour has been prevalent in Germany in: (a) workshops as well as factories of the Proto-Industrial and Early Industrial Phases bet 1850. (b) Factories during the peak phase of industrialization. Even as early as in the 16th and 17th centuries, child labour Child Labour in India-Present Scenario Every child is a gift of God –a gift must be nurtured with care and affection, with in the family and society. But unfortunately due to socio-economic and cultural problems, the code of child centeredness was replaced by neglect, abuse and deprivation, particularly in the poverty afflicted sections of the society. (1) While child labour is a complex problem that is basically rooted in poverty. (2) The strategy of progressive elimination of child labour underscores India’s legislative intent, and takes cognizance of the fact that child labour is not an isolated phenomenon on that can be tackled without simultaneously taking into account the socio-economic milieu that is at the root of the problem. (3) An International Moral Code of Right and Wrong Behavior said that “human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all human beings” and as a result such rights may neither be granted nor be taken away by legislation. (4) The position of India in terms of child labour is not an appreciable one; with a credible estimates ranging from 60 to 115 million, India has the largest number of working children in the world. Whether they are sweating in the heat of stone quarries, working in the fields 16 hours a day, picking rags in the city streets, or hidden away as domestic servants, these children endure miserable and difficult lives. They earn little and are made to work more. They struggle to make Child Labour: Issues and Challenges 313 enough to eat and perhaps to help feed their families as well. They do not go to school. Many of them have been working since the age of four or five, and by the time they attain adulthood they may be irrevocably sick and deformed they will certainly be exhausted, and in this way they are debarred from enjoying the basic human rights, which are essential for the advancement of one’s personality. (5) According to the statistics given by Indian government there are 20 million child labourers in the country, while other agencies claim that it is 50 million. (6) Child labour is a conspicuous problem in India. Its prevalence is evident in the child work participation rate, which is more than that of other developing countries. Poverty is the reason for child labour in India. The meager income of child labourers is also absorbed by their families. The paucity of organized banking in the rural areas creates a void in taking facilities, forcing poor families to push their children in harsh labour, the harshest being bonded labour. (7) That declaration stated that all ILO members have an obligation “to respect, to promote and to realize in good faith” a set of fundamental rights which include freedom of association the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour the effective abolition of child labour and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Rights of Children under National Laws India has all along followed a proactive policy in the matter of tackling the Problem of child labour. India has always stood for constitutional, statutory and development measures required eliminating child labour. The Indian Constitution has consciously incorporated provisions to secure compulsory universal elementary education as well as labour 314 A Hand book of Career Development Indian Perspectives protection for children. Labour Commissions in India have gone into the problems of child labour and have made extensive recommendations. Child Labour in Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh has a dubious distinction of having largest number of child labour in India (1991). The state is consisting of 23 districts, converting 3 sub-regions coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana in 1956.It is the fifth largest state in the Indian union both in terms of geographical area and population. According to 2001 census the population of the state was 76.2 million, however increased to 8.46 crores in 2011, with a decadal growth rate of 11.1per cent. For centuries together scheduled caste, scheduled Tribes and the most backward communities are marginalized and remained backward, excluded in the process of growth and development. The state of Andhra Pradesh was lagging much behind the national average in respect of literacy rate 44.09(1991) and GSDP also. How ever there is a significant improvement by 2011, reaching 67.77 percentages, thanka to the national policy and state government efforts for building and development of infrastructural facilities in nook and corner of the state. Child labour is engaged in multiple economic activities in Andhra Pradesh as mentioned below. 1) Agriculture operations 2) Cattle rearing 3) Cashew nut preparation 4) Chillies processing 5) Collection of miner forest produce 6) Hybrid cotton seedling preparation 7) Brick kiln. 8) Beedi rolling 9) Stone cutting 10) Bakery and biscuits making Child Labour: Issues and Challenges 315 Reasons For Join As A Child Labour • Poverty • Parental illiteracy • Tradition of making children learn the family skills • Absence of universal compulsory Primary education • Social apathy and tolerance of child labour • Ignorance of the parents about the adverse consequences of Child labour • Ineffective enforcement of the legal provisions pertaining to child labour • Non-availability of and non-accessibility to schools • Irrelevant and non-attractive school curriculum • Employers prefer children as they constitute cheap labour and they are not able to organize themselves against exploitation. Child labour is considered to be a socio-economic problem. It is also considered that poverty, illiteracy, Ignorance, low income, unemployment, low standard of living and social backwardness are some of important factors responsible for child labour. Poverty is widely considered as the top reason why children work at inappropriate jobs for their ages. Children work because their parents are poor; they have to supplement the family Income or provide unpaid labour. In some countries children are expected to work. Remember it was considered normal for children in Britain to work in the cotton mills from the age of the problems of child labour is inter-related to the problem of wage rate and working hours of adult worker. Some more Reasons for Child Labour Culture & Tradition in Demand Cotton growing is still very labour intensive and so there is a demand for cheap labour. In other types of work like a family business or farming children might be pulled into work 316 A Hand book of Career Development Indian Perspectives because education isn’t valued and work is thought to be of more use. Cheap & Obedient The relatively low wages paid to children are often a reason why employers prefer them to adult workers. Some children work unpaid, particularly as domestic workers, in conditions that would be termed as “slavery” if they involved adults. Employers find children more obedient and easier to control. Nimble Fingers Children are considered to be suited to certain types of work and those who use Children to work argue this work cannot be performed better by adults. This is just one of many myths used to justify the numbers of children working today Inadequate Laws Even though there are national laws in countries around the world which states that no child under the age of 14 may work, the law is often ignored. More than 130 countries have signed an international convention saying that children may not work full-time before they are 14 or 15 years of age. However, in some of the countries concerned, laws on this are confusing or vague and not enforced. The Role of Education Not attending school is a cause and an effect of child labour. In many countries education is not free and parents still pay a fee for their children to attend Primary school, as well as buying books and providing a school uniform. For a Poor family this can be a lot of money, alongside the lack of income for the household while a child is at school. The Constitution of India too provides certain rights to children and prohibits child labour. Such provisions are as follows: 1. No child below the age of 14 years shall be employed in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous work. Child Labour: Issues and Challenges 317 2. State, in particular, shall direct its policy towards securing that the health and strength of workers, men and women and the tender age of the children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter vocations unsuited to their age or strength. 3. Children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitations and against moral and material abandon. 4. The state shall endeavor to provide, within the period of 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution, free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14 years. 5. The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of six to 14 years in such a manner as the state may by law determine According to a 2001 census, an estimated 185,595 children are employed as domestic help and in small roadside eateries. Most child domestic workers in India are trafficked by placement agencies operating in states like Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.India has announced a National Policy of Child Labour as early as 1987, and was probably the first among the developing countries to have such a progressive policy. Through a notification dated May 26, 1993, the working conditions of children have been regulated in all employment not prohibited under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. Further, following up on a preliminary notification issued on October 5, 1993, the government has also prohibited employment of children in occupations such as abattoirs/slaughter houses, printing, cashew decaling and processing, and soldering. Child labour would be abolished in hazardous occupations by the year 2000, reflects a national consensus and 318 A Hand book of Career Development Indian Perspectives commitment. After this declaration, several farreaching initiatives have been taken by the Government to effectively tackle the problem. India’s National Policy on Education, 1986 gives the highest priority to the program of universal elementary education, and recommends that free and compulsory education of sufficient quality be provided to all children up to the age of 14 years before we enter the 21st century. The present thrust is on three aspects, namely, universal access and enrollment, universal retention of children up to 14 years of age, and substantial improvement in the quality of education to enable all children to achieve essential levels of learning. All these aspects have been incorporated in the various initiatives taken up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. REFERENCES 1) S.N.Tripaty (1991); Exploitations of child labour in India, Daya Books publishers India. 2) V.V.GIRI Labour Institute, Delhi 3) Jaspal Singh (1989): Rights of Children under Indian COstitution and the convention of rights of children: An Appraisal Law journal Guru Nanak Dev University, Vol. XIII, 200. 4) Gopal bhargava (2003); Child Labour, volume-1, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi. 5) Roy J Adams, Labour Rights as Human Right: Implication of the International Consensus. 6) Lal B. Suresh,(2012): Combating the Child Labour In Andhra Pradesh- India: An Investigation, paper presented at 3rd European Asian Economics, Finance, Econometrics and Accounting conference held on 5-8 September, Taipei, Taiwan. 7) Lal B.Suresh, T. Joga Chary, (2006): An Empirical Study on Child Ragpickers in Warangal City, Indian Journal of Human Rights & Justice Vol-2, No. 1-2, p.no. 39-48, Serials, New Delhi.pp.39-48, ISSN: 0973-3418.