From left: Sugar Cane Growers Council chief executive (acting), Sundresh Chetty, with the Minister for Labour, Industrial Relation and Employment, Jone Usamate, during the Workshop on Child Labour in the Sugar Industry held at Sugar Cane Growers Council Building in Lautoka yesterday. Photo: SHEIK DEAN
By SHEIK DEAN
The Ministry of Labour has withdrawn 21 children engaged in child labour from various industries in the first quarter this year.
This revelation was made by the Minister for Labour, Jone Usamate, yesterday, whilst officiating the Child Labour Workshop in the Sugar Industry in Lautoka.
Mr Usamate said Fiji has seen a rise in child labour in the sugar industry and this has been a foremost issue.
“To fight the problem of child labour in the Industry, our ministry has trained a total of 347 teachers from the 197 rural agriculture based schools,” he said.
“The Ministry will be gazetting a regulation on hazardous work place which will restrict children working with harmful chemicals like spraying pesticides.”
Government’s vision
Mr Usamate stressed the Bainimarama Government is committed to ensure that our children are given the full right to education of the highest level.
“The Ministry has implemented an ILO standard child labour inspection and withdrawal process in all districts around Fiji,” he said.
“Assistance such as school bus fare subsidies and protection allowance by the Social Welfare Department has been provided to children to ensure they remain in schools.
“The Ministry will work closely with Ministry of Sugar, Sugar Cane Growers Council, Fiji Sugar Corporation and the Cane Producers’ Organisation to eradicate child labour in Sugar Industry.”