• To amend key laws and regulations to strengthen existing legal framework
• Nearly 64,000 children and young people estimated engaged in hazardous work
• COVID-19 doubled Sri Lankan population living under extreme poverty in 2020 
• Govt. last year changed minimum age of employment from 14 to 16 years 

The Labour Ministry seeks proposals to amend key laws and regulations on child labour, with a view to eliminate child labour from Sri Lanka.

Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva recently held a discussion with officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), National Child Protection Authority, Probation and Child Care Services Department, Housing and Samurdhi Ministry, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Census and Statistics Department and Labour Department. 

During the meeting, the minister requested the officials to submit their proposals to amend key laws and regulations to strengthen the current legal framework on child labour, in order to eliminate child labour from the country.

In particular, he expressed the intentions to amend Hazardous Occupations Regulations under the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children’s Act (EWYPCA), in order to strengthen the legal framework against child labour.

The EWYPCA regulates the work, working hours and conditions of children and young persons. It determines a list of hazardous forms of child labour, to protect children above the minimum age of employment, in fulfilling the state obligation under Article 3 (d) of ILO Convention 182, ratified in March 2001, through the regulations issued in 2010 under the act.

In Sri Lanka, approximately 64,000 children and young people estimated  to have engaged in hazardous work.
The minister stressed the need for a national programme to eliminate child labour from the country while emphasising that child labour shouldn’t be an answer to poverty.

Last year, the population living under extreme poverty doubled in the country, due to the pandemic, which is expected to have pushed more children to engage in hazardous work activities. 

De Silva also expects more inter-coordinated efforts among state agencies to eliminate child labour in the country. He urged the officials from the Housing and Samurdhi Ministry to gather data on child labour activities among Samurdhi beneficiary families and moving forward, to ensure no child in Samurddhi beneficiary families are engaged in any form of child labour.

 
Further, the Census and Statistics Department is expected to conduct the fourth Child Activity Survey this year.
The government last year decided to amend the country’s labour laws, changing the minimum age of employment from 14 to 16 years of age.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted 2021 as the Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. Accordingly, the Labour Ministry plans to intensify the efforts to eliminate child labour from the country.