HRMATT joins in consultation on eradication of child labour

HRMATT joined with other stakeholders for a National Multipartite Stakeholder Consultation on Child Labour hosted by the Ministry of Labour.
Under the theme “Spot child labour. Stop child labour”, the event was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Trinidad Hilton Conference Centre on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, and featured remarks from various stakeholders and an art exhibition with pieces relevant to the event theme.
A broad cross-section of stakeholders was in attendance spanning the wider national community including labour, manufacturing, national security, non-governmental organisations, and human resources management. The aim of the consultation was to engage the national community for input on the issue of identification and eradication of child labour as part of Trinidad and Tobago’s commitment towards achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8.7 that countries “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms” (UNICEF).
Senator The Honourable Stephen Mc Clashie MP, Minister of Labour, delivered the feature address and highlighted that the public has an important part to play in the identification and eradication of child labour, and that a whole of government approach towards this outcome is being undertaken by the current administration.
The minister further encouraged vigilance by all stakeholders by identifying and reporting suspected instances of child labour reminding those present that child labour robs children of their childhood, their education, and future opportunities.
Ms Resel Melville, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Project Coordinator Regional Initiative, shared with the gathering that the ratification by the Kingdom of Tonga on 4 August 2020 of ILO Convention 182 signified that the convention had achieved universal ratification. This means that all United Nations participating governments are obligated to undertake to put into place domestic measures and legislation compatible with the obligations and duties under the convention.
The event was interactive with stakeholders divided into working groups and during the breakout session were required to address specific issues pertaining to child labour in Trinidad and Tobago. HRMATT Advocacy Committee member, Mr Bilal Millette, presenting on behalf of his group shared on the issue of data collection pertaining to child labour.
The group, which consisted of representatives from HRMATT, the manufacturing sector, government ministries, chambers of commerce, and academia, agreed that based on cultural and societal norms child labour in various forms was not readily identifiable to the national community except in extreme cases thereby making the collection of data difficult. Issues such as ethical considerations, barriers to data collection and strategies to foster trust for agencies responsible for collecting data were also presented.
Contributions by other stakeholders included recommendations for review of existing legislation to make early childhood education mandatory, improved resource allocation to agencies responsible for the enforcement of existing laws and that any efforts to eradicate child labour should include interventions to reduce the poverty gap in society. It was also opined that society should create an environment where all children can realise their full potential and that education is one of the most effective ways to prevent child labour.
The Ministry of Labour highlighted that this was the first in a series of collaborations on this issue, and that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago is committed to the eradication of child labour by 2025 in keeping with its obligations under UN Convention 182.
HRMATT supports the eradication of Child Labour and is committed to supporting the relevant authorities in their journey to do so. We are ready to work towards the relevant legislation and to participate in any research or preparation work that may be required.