TRADE unions worldwide have a very important role to play to end the scourge of child labour. So said Ms Mary Johnson, director of the International Labour Organisation’s office in Delhi, while inaugurating the Centre of Indian Trade Unions’ national level round table meeting on "Direct Action for Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour." The meeting, held on July 20, at the CITU headquarters, B T Ranadive Bhawan in New Delhi, was attended by participants from 10 states, where the project will be implemented during the next 24 months, and other invitees interested in the elimination of child labour.

Ms Mary Johnson emphasised: "In countries plagued by chronic unemployment and underemployment, every job given to a child is doubly detrimental. It deprives the child of normal education and at the same time denies a needy adult worker gainful employment. Consequently, the existence of child labour in any economy hinders trade union efforts to raise the material well being of workers."

CITU secretary and project coordinator, Dr K Hemalata, explained the objectives of the CITU programme and narrated how poverty is the main cause of child labour.

Vinod Vaish, labour secretary in the government of India and the chief guest, explained the government’s position regarding child labour and ILO conventions. He commended the CITU initiative in undertaking the task of mainstreaming child labourers into primary schools.

Another CITU secretary W R Varada Rajan, who chaired the meeting, narrated the initiatives taken by CITU on the issue of child labour and the causes of youth unemployment, both of which are a potential threat to the quality of adult employment.

The CITU-ILO programme is the second joint project in the area of child labour. The first project, which entailed sensitisation of trade unionists and parents of child labourers, was completed a year ago. This project aims at direct action to educate 1000 children and to bring them into the educational mainstream. Under the project, 20 centres of non-formal education (NFE) will be started in 10 states, to educate children working in seven industries. These industries are beedi, brick kiln, construction, handloom, matches and fireworks, stone cutting, and tea plantation.

The meeting worked out strategies for the elimination of child labour and drew up a road map of activities to be taken up by CITU in the next two years, based on the experience in different industries in states. (INN)