Efforts launched to combat child labour in Punjab’s brick kilns
The ILO in Pakistan in collaboration with the Government of Punjab launched an enrolment campaign of Brick Kiln workers children into the educational system. Under this campaign government of Punjab will provide free education, school bags and books to the brick kiln children enrolled to schools.
25 August 2015
NANKANA (ILO News): Over 600 brick kiln workers and their families witnessed enrollment of their children under Chief Minister Punjab’s initiative on child labour free brick kilns in collaboration with the International labour Organization [ILO]. The first batch of 35 out-of-school children of brick kiln workers from Nankana Sahib District were enrolled in Government Model Primary School Chokhiyanwala, Nankana Sahib. This initiative will cover all the brick kilns in Punjab Province.
Mr Raja Ashfaq Sarwar-Minister for Labour and Human Resource Department, Government of Punjab along with Mr Francesco d'Ovidio-Country Director of the ILO, Members Punjab Assembly, Senior Government Officials of the line departments, Brick Kiln Owners, Representatives of Civil Society, NGOs and Media participated in this mega event held on Tuesday 25 August, 2015 at Nankana Sahib.
The Minister for Labour announced that the Government Punjab will provide free education, school bags and books to the brick kiln children enrolled in schools under this initiative. Its sustainability will be ensured through strict monitoring and regular follow-up by the District Vigilance Committees (DVCs) which are already functional in all 36 districts of Punjab. He commended the continued support of the ILO to the Government of Punjab in the elimination of child labour. The ILO’s collaboration and expertise to conduct the South Asia Labour Conference helped the government devise concrete polices and come up with action plans like this, said the Minister.
In his remarks during the event, Mr d'Ovidio, ILO Country Director, said the move towards the elimination of child labour was a promise fulfilled by the Punjab Government. “The initiative of the Chief Minister Punjab is highly appreciated as it will sustain the successful pilot interventions made under ILO’s previous and current projects”, said Mr d’Ovidio. He also highlighted that this was just the beginning and the government would have to ensure the availability of financial resources for many years to come and develop a solid monitoring system. Mr d’Ovidio reiterated ILO’s commitment to support the efforts of the Government, Employers, Workers and other stakeholders in eliminating child labour in Pakistan.
The Parliamentary Secretary Mr Rana Arshad-Government of Punjab, Mr Mubashir Hussain- Additional Secretary, Labour and Human Resource Department, Dr Javaid Gill-Director, Punjab Integrated Project and representatives of Employers and Workers Organizations were also among the key speakers on this occasion.
The ILO developed a pilot project under “Strengthening Law Enforcement Responses & Actions against Bonded Labour” in 2012 which was implemented in collaboration with the District Labour Office, Nankana Sahib in brick kiln sector. Key interventions included: establishment of Non-formal Education Centres, Support to get birth certificate and national identity card and birth; registration with social security, health screening, and linking female brick kiln workers with the government social protection programme. A brick kiln worker, who was one of the ILO’s project beneficiaries, received a marriage grant of Rupees 100,000/ from Workers Welfare Board to get her daughter married. An independent evaluation confirmed that this pilot intervention achieved its intended targets.
The current support of the ILO builds on its previous interventions on child labour and bonded labour in Pakistan and will largely provide support to: develop policies and programmes on child and bonded labour; implement the recently launched Government of Punjab’s Integrated Child and Bonded Labour Project wherein the ILO is recognized as a Technical Partner and will provide consistent advice on the elimination of child labour and measures to address bonded labour; and formulate the right approach to address child labour in the province of Baluchistan.
National Project Coordinator
ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Email
Tel: +92 51 2276456-8
Mr Raja Ashfaq Sarwar-Minister for Labour and Human Resource Department, Government of Punjab along with Mr Francesco d'Ovidio-Country Director of the ILO, Members Punjab Assembly, Senior Government Officials of the line departments, Brick Kiln Owners, Representatives of Civil Society, NGOs and Media participated in this mega event held on Tuesday 25 August, 2015 at Nankana Sahib.
The Minister for Labour announced that the Government Punjab will provide free education, school bags and books to the brick kiln children enrolled in schools under this initiative. Its sustainability will be ensured through strict monitoring and regular follow-up by the District Vigilance Committees (DVCs) which are already functional in all 36 districts of Punjab. He commended the continued support of the ILO to the Government of Punjab in the elimination of child labour. The ILO’s collaboration and expertise to conduct the South Asia Labour Conference helped the government devise concrete polices and come up with action plans like this, said the Minister.
In his remarks during the event, Mr d'Ovidio, ILO Country Director, said the move towards the elimination of child labour was a promise fulfilled by the Punjab Government. “The initiative of the Chief Minister Punjab is highly appreciated as it will sustain the successful pilot interventions made under ILO’s previous and current projects”, said Mr d’Ovidio. He also highlighted that this was just the beginning and the government would have to ensure the availability of financial resources for many years to come and develop a solid monitoring system. Mr d’Ovidio reiterated ILO’s commitment to support the efforts of the Government, Employers, Workers and other stakeholders in eliminating child labour in Pakistan.
The Parliamentary Secretary Mr Rana Arshad-Government of Punjab, Mr Mubashir Hussain- Additional Secretary, Labour and Human Resource Department, Dr Javaid Gill-Director, Punjab Integrated Project and representatives of Employers and Workers Organizations were also among the key speakers on this occasion.
The ILO developed a pilot project under “Strengthening Law Enforcement Responses & Actions against Bonded Labour” in 2012 which was implemented in collaboration with the District Labour Office, Nankana Sahib in brick kiln sector. Key interventions included: establishment of Non-formal Education Centres, Support to get birth certificate and national identity card and birth; registration with social security, health screening, and linking female brick kiln workers with the government social protection programme. A brick kiln worker, who was one of the ILO’s project beneficiaries, received a marriage grant of Rupees 100,000/ from Workers Welfare Board to get her daughter married. An independent evaluation confirmed that this pilot intervention achieved its intended targets.
The current support of the ILO builds on its previous interventions on child labour and bonded labour in Pakistan and will largely provide support to: develop policies and programmes on child and bonded labour; implement the recently launched Government of Punjab’s Integrated Child and Bonded Labour Project wherein the ILO is recognized as a Technical Partner and will provide consistent advice on the elimination of child labour and measures to address bonded labour; and formulate the right approach to address child labour in the province of Baluchistan.
For further information please contact:
Muhammed BenyameenNational Project Coordinator
ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Tel: +92 51 2276456-8