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16 May, 2000Trade unions are pressing the government to ratify ILO Convention No. 182 on worst forms of child labour.
GENEVA/BANGLADESH: Since the adoption of Convention No. 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour by the 87th session of the ILO General Conference, in June 1999, 15 countries have, to date, proceeded to its ratification: Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Finland, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Malawi, San Marino, Seychelles, Slovakia, Tunisia, United Kingdom and the United States.
Now a nationwide trade union campaign has been launched in Bangladesh by the national trade union center - the Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress (BFTUC) - pressing the government to add its name to this list of countries which have resolved to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour.
Officially, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics reports that there is a total of 6.3 million children in the country between the ages of 5 and 14 who work for pay, and are not enrolled in school. This represents about 12 per cent of a total workforce of over 51 million. Approximately 1.9 million are below 10 years of age. Bangladesh, with an overall population of over 87 million, is one of the world's poorest countries, and the reason so many children work is due to this poverty.
Making the situation even more shocking is the fact that 70 per cent of these youngsters labour in hazardous conditions and abuse of child workers is common.
The trade unions as well as government and non-governmental organisations are implementing programmes to combat the problem of child labour. At the same time, the BFTUC is organising campaigns, demonstrations, press conferences, discussion groups and information distribution to the public to get their support for ratification of ILO Convention No. 182.
ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, dating back to 1973, has also not been ratified by Bangladesh.
Now a nationwide trade union campaign has been launched in Bangladesh by the national trade union center - the Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress (BFTUC) - pressing the government to add its name to this list of countries which have resolved to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour.
Officially, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics reports that there is a total of 6.3 million children in the country between the ages of 5 and 14 who work for pay, and are not enrolled in school. This represents about 12 per cent of a total workforce of over 51 million. Approximately 1.9 million are below 10 years of age. Bangladesh, with an overall population of over 87 million, is one of the world's poorest countries, and the reason so many children work is due to this poverty.
Making the situation even more shocking is the fact that 70 per cent of these youngsters labour in hazardous conditions and abuse of child workers is common.
The trade unions as well as government and non-governmental organisations are implementing programmes to combat the problem of child labour. At the same time, the BFTUC is organising campaigns, demonstrations, press conferences, discussion groups and information distribution to the public to get their support for ratification of ILO Convention No. 182.
ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, dating back to 1973, has also not been ratified by Bangladesh.