The Labour Department will in a few months issue guidelines that will make registration of migrant labourers mandatory, Labour Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan has said.
Delivering the inaugural address at the State-level inauguration of the International Anti-Child Labour Day programmes here on Sunday, the Minister said that all labourers whether they were Keralites or not would be brought under the labour rules.
He said that the exact number of migrant labourers in the State was yet to be calculated.
'There had been instances of employing children, below the age of 18 when they accompanied the migrant labourers. This would be checked. Poverty and lack of education and resultant backwardness of society were what led to child labour in the country. The best way to stop child labour was by getting rid of this condition, the Minister said.
Welfare panels
Child Labour Rehabilitation-cum-Welfare Committees had been formed in every district under the District Collector as per the Anit-Child Labour laws. There was a need to ensure that these committees were functioning properly. Besides, the public too needed to stay alert against child labour in order to abolish it. Employers and trade unions played a major role in this, Mr. Ramakrishnan said.
Toll-free numbers
The Minister also reminded that the Labour Department had a toll-free number for the public to inform the authorities of instances of child labour. Besides complaints on child labour, complaints pertaining to the Labour Department also could be passed on to the numbers — 155214 and 180042555214 .
M.K. Muneer, MLA, presided. Additional Labour Commissioner A. Alexander and representatives of various trade unions were present.
Childline Kozhikode set up an open canvas at a mall in the city on Sunday, as part of the Anti-Child Labour Day programmes, to create awareness against child labour. The canvas was inaugurated by artist Paul Kallanode while the children of Government Children’s Home and Free Birds home poured in their creativity on the canvass.
Several members of the public too joined the children.
Member of State Commission for Children’s Rights Babu Narikkuni, District Child Welfare Officer Sheeba Mumtaz, District Labour Officer (General) Bibin Lal and Childline coordinators were present.
The canvas will be displayed on the Civil Station premises on June 18.
