4 April
Child Labour Day is commemorated on 4 April to give a clear distinction between child work, which is acceptable, and child labour. Research indicates that of those children found to be working almost 60 percent did so in order to help their parents financially. This clearly constitutes child labour and is therefore unacceptable.
What is child labour?
Child labour is work by a child that is exploitative, hazardous or otherwise inappropriate for the child’s age; detrimental to the child’s schooling; detrimental to the child’s social, physical, mental, spiritual or moral development.
Not all work by children is child labour. Child work is work that is not bad for a child’s health, schooling or development. An example is reasonable household chores that do not affect a child’s schooling.
According to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, it is a criminal offence to employ a child younger than 15, except in the performing arts with a permit from the Department of Labour. Children aged 15 to 18 may not be employed to do work inappropriate for their age, or work that places them at risk.
For further information or if you want to report any child labour activities contact your nearest office of the Department of Labour, or contact Head Office at 012 309 4000.
Source: Let me be a child, 2011
