Conduct child labour survey, activists urge State govt

CHENNAI: The members of Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL) along with child rights activists recently made recommendations including conducting a child labour survey and reviving the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) in the State.

This discussion has come in the wake of World Day Against Child Labour observed on June 12. The CACL members, from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry chapters along with other stakeholders discussed the work done at the respective districts of the State with regards to abolishing child labour.

Explaining further, R Karuppasamy, CACL State convenor said, “The discussion with teams were held on five major themes, including pointing out the rampant child labour cases in spinning and garment factories, fishing, agricultural and other unorganised sectors. Based on this discussion we have decided to make a few recommendations to the government.”

Meanwhile, in 2022, Chief Minister M K Stalin urging the support of everyone to make the State free of child labour, requested to not employ children below the age of 14 and adolescent children between 14 and 18 years in hazardous jobs. He also announced the State will become child labour free by 2025. Hence, CACL has formed a fact-finding team to identify child labour cases in the Aavin factory, following which the outcome of the findings will be submitted to the CM. CACL has urged the government to ensure all the child labour vigilance committees are operating well.