Labour Minister, Mildred Oliphant, is to deliver the keynote address at a crucial Child Labour Day commemorative event in Badplaas, Mpumalanga on Thursday, 1 August under the theme: “A future without child labour”.
The occasion forms part of annual events to eradicate practices that harm the development of the child in the country. The campaign draws its mandate from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) – to which South Africa is a signatory on conventions around minimum age as well as the worst forms of child labour among others.
The former convention sets the general minimum age for admission to employment for work at 15 years and the minimum age for hazardous work at 18 (16 under strict conditions).
The latter convention requires all member-states to eliminate worst forms of child labour, including all forms of slavery or practices such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, child prostitution and pornography, using children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs and work that is likely to harm the health, safety and morals of children.
The event, scheduled to start at 10h00 at Badplaas - A forever Resort, will be attended by representatives of the ILO, government departments, organised business and labour as well as children – with Nkosinathi Nhleko, the Department of Labour’s Director-General, giving the opening address.
Media is invited to attend the National Day Against Child Labour event.
