Cabinet nod to ban 20 new occupations including domestic services for minors

The Cabinet nod has been granted to add twenty new occupations including domestic services and jobs related to beauty culture to the list of hazardous jobs for minors (16-18 years) and to present the draft regulations to Parliament.

Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva on Monday sought the approval of Cabinet of Ministers for the draft regulations expanding the list of hazardous jobs to 71 under the Women, Young Persons and Children Employment Act (EWYPCA), and consequently to submit the draft regulations to Parliament for approval and to publish the amended orders in the Government Gazette.

Following a high profile case involving the death of a domestic worker at a residence of a former Minister, the Labour Ministry expedited the legal process to strengthen measures taken to protect minors employed in unsafe working environments. 

Accordingly, employments including domestic service, beauty culture and jobs related to computers and electronics would be added to the list of hazardous jobs for minors following the approval of the Parliament.

Under the Act, it’s illegal to employ minors in jobs specified in the list of hazardous jobs, and employing them in such jobs has been declared a punishable offense by law. 

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. However, since 2010, the list has not been updated.  In January this year, the government raised the minimum age of employment of minors to 16 years of age.