Bangladesh is a developing country. The magnitude of the ‘child labor’ problem is large in Bangladesh, with around about one-fifth of all Bangladeshi children between the ages of 5 and 14 years, being classified as child workers in 2000. Most of these child workers work in the agricultural sector. Among the poorest quintile of households, the share of family income contributed by child workers reaches nearly 50 percent.
Last twenty years, the pressures of a growing population, the rate of growth of which has only recently showed clear signs of slackening, have reinforced Bangladeshi values enshrining the importance of the family and the value of work for and within the family. Work by children within the family unit is not generally regarded as labor in the way it is defined by international conventions, and consequently, labor within larger households and work units where numbers of family members are involved is largely accepted as the norm, or is simply invisible. This contrasts somewhat with the visibility of street children and the dangers to which they are exposed.
Poverty is the main cause of child labor but it is a symptom as well. Poor parents send their children to work for reasons of economic expediency, the consequent denial of education trapping another generation of the household within poverty.
Other factors may stimulate this cycle; for example, schools in poor countries are often inaccessible, prohibitively expensive, lack teaching and classroom resources. Cultural pressures can undermine perception of the long term value of education, especially for girl children. Nearly all the child labor in export industries is found in the garment industry. According to the Bangladesh Ministry of Labor, 'children are found working in garments, bakeries and confectioneries, hotels and restaurants, transport, biri (cigarette) factories, small engineering workshops, fish-processing, and other informal and unregulated sectors. Child Labor causes in Bangladesh depending o two factors:
Supply Factor for Child labor: The most important fact for child labor in Bangladesh is poverty. In Bangladesh about 55 million people live below the poverty line. So to survive the poor people need to send their children to work. Our country condition- to survive life and their poor family children had to work. The education cost for the poor family is pretty much high who has more than one child, in a country like Bangladesh. The education system of the country in general does not provide poor, disadvantaged children with any immediate prospects of better jobs or higher levels of income. Parents do not understand the long term advantage of education instate of short term advantage of child labor. Natural disaster like- Floods, cyclones and riverbank erosion are also become a threat for the poor family which make bound those family to send their children to work. Demand Factor for Child Labor: The demand for the child worker in Bangladesh is because of the low labor cost. In all the industries that rely heavily on child labor, most of the tasks performed by children are also performed by adults working side by side with them. Children are more trustworthy, more willing to take orders and do monotonous work, and less likely to be absent from work, so it’s the strengths for the children to become an effective worker. That’s why the organization appointed the children as their workers.
Scale of Child labor practice in Bangladesh: In Bangladesh, according to the survey of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) identify that "National Sample Survey of Child Labour in Bangladesh: 1995-96"of child laborers as children in the age group of 514 years. In 1995-1996, According to BBS the number of child laborers was 6.6 million. 19 % of the total child population was found to be economically active. 95.6% of the child labor force was employed. Of the employed child workers, males constituted 59.8 percent and females 40.2 percent. 17 % of the child labor force lived in the urban areas and the rest in the rural areas.
Areas of Child Labor in Bangladesh:
Child labor is practice different area in Bangladesh in different section. In Bangladesh children are found working in almost all the sectors of the economy except mining, quarrying, electricity, gas and water. A large number of children work in occupations and industries, which are plainly dangerous and hazardous. Those are explaining in followingChildren are working hazardous condition: Children are working on the following section which is very much risky for the children to work. The hazards, associated with these activities, were largely due to: exposure to flames, working with electricity, exposure to harmful chemical substances, carcinogens, neurotoxins, gases, fumes and organic dust, handling garbage, high-speed machinery, inappropriate hand tools, sharp equipment, extreme heat or cold, insufficient light, heavy loads, continuous working with ice and water without gloves and stressful working conditions. Children are working on Garments Industry: A large number of children are working in Bangladesh Garment industry in many sections. In this sector the wage rate is very low. Children employed in factories were dismissed peremptorily, legislation was invoked, and agreements were made whereby children would not be employed but would be sent to school. Children are working on domestic household: Children are working on the household activities. Where children are employed in houses which provide their food and shelter and where the alternative is starvation or grosser exploitation, it is not so easy to see the employers as exploiters. Nevertheless, those who employ children, whatever the reason, should be regarded as having assumed a parental responsibility for their welfare. The wage rate is pretty much low here but the benefits are high compare to the other working station. Trafficking of Children: Bangladeshi children are sold in many countries in the world usually in the sub continent of Middle East, Girls children are sold on the porpoise on prostitution and in the job of selves. Bangladeshi boys are sent to Dubai and other destinations in the Gulf to be used as jockeys in the camel race which is very risky.
Regarding Child Labor issue the NGO’s work hardly: Child work is always neglected. Governments launched the Compulsory Primary Education Program all over the country in 1993 which is a great opportunity for the working children to get education. BGMEA, ILO & UNICEF came up with Memorandum of Understanding which help terminated the child labor with education and monthly. International NGO Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs (UCEP) is a hope for working children. Each school operates three shifts, each of two and half-hour' duration to allow the working children to pursue education while working.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
In Bangladesh, a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the elimination of child labor in the garment sector was signed on July 4, 1995. UNICEF, the ILO and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) signed the tripartite Agreement. The Agreement requires that a survey of child workers in the garment sector be conducted and that all workers under age 14 will leave garment factories by a target date of October 31, 1995, and enters NGO-run school programs. The BGMEA will offer jobs to qualified older family members of under-aged workers who go to school, and efforts for after school income generation projects will also be explored. Children terminated under the Agreement will also be paid a monthly stipend to help offset the loss of their wages. The ILO will contribute funds for a verification program, which will be monitored by a steering committee of the MOU signatories.
Suggestion to handle the Child Labor issue: Bangladesh has a number of characteristics, which provide an environment in which child labor can grow, and where it may be tackled in one quarter but is likely to manifest itself more vigorously in others as a result. Bangladesh has been affected more directly by child labor issues than any other country, primarily because the industries in which child labor is visible are high foreign exchange earners for their economies compared with any other sector. But Child labor will never be accepted. So we should stop child labor. To prevent this issue the government should take effective and efficient plan as well as monitor this mater strongly. Such a plan of action should attach priority to a large-scale replication of the UCEP model of integrated human resources development for child workers. The law of Child Labor should be practice by all the organization and the government should concentrate on this issue.
THEME: There is an increasing trend in the number of child workers and they are found working in almost all the sectors of the economy of Bangladesh. This takes place due to expensive education system and government’s failure to properly implement, monitor and regulate the child labor laws. Child labors are exposed to dangerous and hazardous work environment while working in various factories without adequate safety measures which is risky for their health and lives. Dismissed child labors from various industries end up getting involved in even more hazardous and exploitative activities where employers are interested to hire and exploit child labor for their own benefits.
Main Issue: What strategies should be taken in order to prevent child labor which calls for implementing and monitoring the child labor laws, ensuring safe work environment and also provide education in the most effective manner without ignoring the possibility of these kids going astray and also being exploited by the management?
BIASED SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS When there is no child labor the children will be able to concentrate on their studies. Poor families tend to send their children to workplace so that they can earn money for the family. Even though the government is giving incentives for the poor children so that they can study and at the same time be benefited but their parents are willing to send them to work for more earnings. Eventually it is leading them to be illiterate and their willingness to study demolishes. If there is no child labor then the parents have no other option left other than to send their children to schools for the long term benefit of their family and also so that they can earn money for the family when they have completed their study. Therefore, anti child labor concept goes as strength for children to be sent at school and make a better future for them. The children will be out of the hazardous working condition and will be able to have a safe and healthier life. If children are not into child labor then they will be out of hazardous condition since the work atmosphere is suitable for matured persons, not designed for the children to work where they have to work without knowing much about the job hazards involved in any given task due to their tender age. They can live a normal life like any other kids brought up in a society that values education and welfare of its children. So if there is no child labor is goes as strength for the children to have a better life in a safer environment, under the supervision of their family members.
The trauma children go through while working under an employer won’t be seen in the society anymore. The street urchins and then child labor who at times become thugs due to the way these innocent children have to go through adult people who would not treat them humanely. The traumatized child labor is uncalled for and violation of their right under any civil society. Therefore, children would grow to be worthy citizen if the child labor is eradicated.
Only when there will be no child labor then the children of our society can grow up with a sound mind, thus can contribute in the society in future. This is also helpful for their base of education. When children won’t be engaged in child labor they will go to school which will be of more benefit for them in future. A child with proper education will go a long way than a child with somewhat skill. Although this might seem that a child is earning money without having the knowledge of what he/she is doing but in the long run when he has to support himself/herself along with the family it is seen that they cannot manage to have a moderate life with the money they earn by doing child labor. So if they don’t engage themselves in child labor in the early age of their life and study properly they can actually earn more money after getting a certificate and the appropriate skills they need to do their work effectively and efficiently.
Weaknesses Hazardous condition of the workplace causes harm to the child, which makes them jobless ultimately poor economic condition continues into the. Recent surveys at the national level have demonstrated that a very high proportion of the children were physically injured or fell ill while working. These included punctures, broken or complete loss of body parts, burns and skin disease, eye and hearing impairment, respiratory and gastro-intestinal illnesses, fever, headaches from excessive heat in the fields or in factories. A large number of these children had to consult medical doctors and some had to be hospitalized. Many affected children had to miss work for a time, with some stopping work for good. Children are susceptible to various work-related injuries and illnesses more than adults doing the same kind of work. Also because they are not yet matured mentally, they are less aware, even completely unaware, of the potential risks involved in their specific occupations or at the workplace. As a result, a large number of working children are affected by various hazards – more than two-thirds of them in some countries. Many of them suffer actual injuries or illnesses, some of whom stop working permanently. Poor families feel the need to supplement their income in every possible way, and child work cannot be ignored Poor families thought that if they sent their children it would be an advantage for them, and they sometimes feel it is justified to send their children to work. So, the supply of child labor is always open. Poverty makes them justified to do this. So, they feel the need to
supplement their income in every possible way and it is a weakness for labor. It’s happen in all over Bangladesh that many children work because child labor has always been an accepted norm within the social structure, although the types of work that child do have changed to some extent, especially in the urban areas. Children growing up on farms are inculcated into a lifestyle centered on work at an early age and simply know no other way of life, particularly if schooling is unavailable. Child labor is therefore perceived as beneficial to the child, the family, and the society in general. Here, of course, the distinction between child labor and child exploitation may be blurred. Poverty is the most often cited reason for the use of child labor. In the short term, the employment of children increases total family income, but this may well not be the case in the longer term. Payment based on piece rates provides an incentive to use children to maximize earnings, and other payment schemes, which are frequently the norm, require a minimum amount of a crop to be collected in order for any wage to be paid. Those Children who have been displaced from relatively secure work places, disrupting family income at a time of rapidly increasing prices for food and shelter, as there is no scope for child labor they have no other way to earn money. One more weakness is when the prizes go up then, many families can’t bear the fulfillment of their daily needs, and as a result they have to send their child to the work place. Most child labor exists in the rural areas and within families, but the drift by people looking for work to the major cities. But still they face the same problem. So, because of increasing prizes they faced a real problem and to get rid out of this child labor occur. Children growing up on farms are inculcated into a lifestyle centered on work at an early age and simply know no other way of life, particularly if schooling is unavailable. Child labor is therefore perceived as beneficial to the child, the family, and the society in general. Here, of course, the distinction between child labor and child exploitation may be blurred. The drift of rural families to the cities in search of work has increased the numbers of children which may be placed in this category. These children are open to gross exploitation, which may include becoming the victims of trafficking in children and child prostitution. For example, Bangladeshi boys have been trafficked to the Gulf States and forced to become camel jockeys; a terrifying and dangerous occupation. Girls of destitute families or who are themselves homeless are especially vulnerable to trafficking and the financial lure of prostitution.
Opportunities NGO’s initiative to expand job territory program may erode controversial issues regarding child labor
The benefits of the NGO intervention in the education sector are both immediate and longterm. Among the immediate results, NGOs provide educational opportunities for children who are left out by public sectors. Children learn reading, writing and numeric skills in NGO schools along with a social consciousness on issues such as health care, first aid, nutrition, family planning, civic responsibility etc. These have immediate effects on children’s “self-confidence” and on capability to handle day-to-day affairs better and escape from exploitative social relations. It provides at least hope for better economic opportunities for them. As evidence from education as skill development strategy, NGO education has been able to provide students with education and skill development and better earning opportunities. Better earning opportunity make children’s voices heard in family decision-making. The role of NGOs in education gives children a sense of being ‘somebody’ in the society. Adult unemployed people get a chance to work when child labor is prohibited. As child labor is cheap, employers tend to hire children in the workplace instead of the qualified adults which result in unemployment. If there is no child labor then the employers will be bound to hire qualified adults which will reduce the number of unemployed people in Bangladesh. If Child labor gets prohibited then qualified people will get the opportunity to work in their related work field hence the unemployment rate of the country will go down and there will be a vast opportunity for skilled people to work with the knowledge they acquired. The world economy will be benefited if the children are not into child labor and get proper education. A nation needs an educated child rather than an uneducated child labor. Some of these new workers who will be the new builders of the world’s society will have been child laborers growing up. This will likely render them crippled, unhealthy and most importantly, uneducated. Many child laborers will have died before reaching the age of 18, and won’t even have made any impact on the world’s future. These new former child laborers who are now formal workers will almost certainly affect the world’s economy un a bad way because job positions that require an education may go unfilled, and manual labor jobs may also see vacancies due to the fact the new workers are already crippled. While child laborers may not have much of an effect now on the world’s economy, they will play a role in shaping the world when they grow up. This is a key reason why we should try to solve child labor now. Entrusting the world to uneducated and crippled people has never been desirable. In order to have educated, healthy, contributing members to the world’s economy later, it is necessary to eliminate child labor now, before the economic effects start to show up. The division if child labor is high in every job sector, which is, threatens for countries social as well as human right sector.
When child labor won’t exist in the society and more children will be encouraged to go to school they will be able to contribute in the economy of the country in the future. Most child labor exists in the rural areas and within families, but the drift by people looking for work to the major cities, especially the capital, Dhaka, has produced a more visible urban pool of unemployed adult and child labor than ever before. While the employment of children may supplement family income in some instances, it may also contribute to keeping the children in poverty, because the children employed in this way do not develop skills they need to improve their standard of living in the longer term.
Poverty is the most often cited reason for the use of child labor. In the short term, the employment of children increases total family income, but this may well not be the case in the longer term. Payment based on piece rates provides an incentive to use children to maximize earnings, and other payment schemes, which are frequently the norm, require a minimum amount of a crop to be collected in order for any wage to be paid. This threat is also an incentive for parents to employ their children. Of course, no separate wage for the child derives from this and the system thus perpetuates itself. In most cases there is number of family sent their children to different households? So, if there is no place for child labor and children hence go to school for acquiring knowledge then they will be helping to improve the economy of the nation. When child labor will be prohibited then parents will have no other choice but to send their children to school and in the long run they will be blessed with job and the unemployment rate will go down. As government is proving efficient incentives for educational opportunities, parents now a day are more open minded to send their children to schools and they are changing their attitude towards the usefulness of schooling and are encouraging their children to go to school rather than work. If child labor is slowly removed like this from the society then eventually all the children will be educated and therefore the unemployment rate will be deceased as they will have proper education and skill to get more job opportunities in the future. It will also enhance the economy of the country.
Threats If there is no child labor and the children do not have the support to go to schools they might end up doing anti social activities
While the children are involved in the child labor, they are more involved in there work, so that their motivation will be focus on their work. When they are busy will their work so they will not be able to give attention to any other anti social activities. Most of time when the child get time they used to be related with anti social activities but when they are busy they will not get time for those activities. An estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and institutions; during armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation or cutting and child marriage. Millions more, not yet victims, also remain without adequate protection. So child labor is an opportunity when they are involved in any other works. Through child labor is not so good but it helps the management as well as some time to the child also to build up their future. If the child is only earning member of the family and there is no child labor in the market then it could be a threat for the family. Many times it happens that the child is the only earning member of the family. In that case if there is no scope for a child to work and earn money for his family then the family may end up without food and shelter at all. If child labor is removed from society then family with no other support except the earning of a child will face much misery and will be bound to suffer. As a result the child might get into violence and other harmful practices.
Accepted norm within the social structure is helping to increase Child Labor day by day. Child labor cannot be eradicated completely in our society within a short time. Their needs to be effective initiatives taken on the part of the government to enforce child labor legislation and then oversee to its complete implementation. The society also has a hand to play by accepting that certain types of child labor are unfair and unequal and unacceptable. But more than anything, we will need to ensure adequate schooling for the children of the country. If and when these children are educated they will not need to suffer being harassed and manipulated as they can think and do for themselves as independent individuals. The lives of child workers are threatened by dangerous work environment.
In many factories, it is a common scenario that child labors are exposed to flames, harmful chemical substances, fumes, extreme heat or cold, etc while working in various factories without adequate safety measures which is risky for their health and lives. Early involvement of children in work leads to serious health and developmental consequences. Child workers tend to develop muscular, chest and abdominal pain, headaches, dizziness, respiratory infections, diarrhea and worm infection. Poor working conditions make them susceptible to infectious diseases, injuries and other workplace-related ailments. Many even experience amputations or loss of body parts. Increasing trend in the number of child workers. Bangladesh is a home of 6.6 million working children and they are found working in almost all the sectors of the economy. Bangladesh accounts for more than 5 percent of the world's working child population numbering 120 million. Many of them work 48 hours a week on an average, earning less than 500 taka per month. A large number of children work in occupations and industries, which are plainly dangerous and hazardous. The number of child workers increased from 2.5 million in 1974 to 6.6 million in 1995-96.
Government’s failure to implement and monitor child labor laws effectively.
Irrespective of so many child labor laws government fail to ensure the implementation of such laws. The increasing trend in the number of child workers indicates that the laws are not being properly implemented, monitored and regulated by the government.
Sacked child labors from various industries end up getting involved in even more hazardous and exploitative activities.
If the child labor laws are strictly followed by various industries, many child workers will be dismissed from the factories and may eventually end up getting involved in even more hazardous and exploitative activities such as stone crushing, steel hustling and prostitution.
Since they will have no source of income, they may end up doing even more hazardous and exploitative activities in order to earn their living expenses.
Employers are interested to hire and exploit child labor for their own benefits.
Employers from various industries tend to hire child workers for their own benefits. The low cost of child workers always attracts employers of various industries. Employers are tempted to hire child labor because children are much less aware of their rights and most unlikely to get involved in trade unions. They are also more trustworthy, more willing to take orders and do monotonous work, and less likely to be absent from work. Children’s lower absentee rate is immensely valuable to employers in the informal sector where workers are employed on a daily basis and the employers must ensure the presence of a full contingent of workers each day.
No strict hiring policy allows employers to hire child labor.
Child workers are being hired by the employers for their own benefits in the absence of strict hiring policies. No strict hiring policy ensures child worker being hired since age of the worker can’t be verified by the employers during the recruitment process
Education of children remains very expensive for a poor family. The government launched the Compulsory Primary Education Program all over the country since January 1993; education still remains very expensive for a poor family since they have to bear the costs of uniform, transportation, etc. In some areas of the country, the expenditure on primary level students represents onethird of the entire income of a typical poor family although most families have more than one child of the school going age. Therefore, children have no other option but to pay for their own education.
Problem no-1:
After the launch of the Compulsory Primary Education Program by the government all over the country, education still remains very expensive for a poor family since they have to bear the costs of uniform, transportation, etc. The government launched the Compulsory Primary Education Program all over the country since January 1993; education still remains very expensive for a poor family since they have to bear the costs of uniform, transportation, etc. In some areas of the country, the expenditure on primary level students represents one-third of the entire income of a typical poor family although most families have more than one child of the school going age. Therefore, children have no other option but to pay for their own education.
Solution: The government and the NGOs should take initiatives to avail education for the poor people in a manner which is most affordable for them by paying them handsome amount of money to cover their necessary expenses and by building schools in as many localities as possible. In order diminish child labor, it is necessary to educate the poor children with facilities which are most suitable for them. In order for the Compulsory Primary Education Program to work effectively, the government and the NGOs should take initiatives so that they help the poor children to acquire education by paying them attractive amount money for their expenses and also by building primary schools in each and every locality in which these poor people reside.
Justification: Since poor people end up sending their children to work in factories where they can earn money rather than sending them to schools, Government and NGOs should ensure education for the poor people which is affordable for them. They should pay them a handsome amount of money so that they don’t miss out on the extra earnings of their children and can also take care of necessary expenses. They should also make sure that schools are built in every locality in which these poor people live since transportation costs could also an issue for them to not send their children in schools.
Problem no -2: Increasing trend in the number of child workers indicates that the laws are not being properly implemented, monitored and regulated by the government. Bangladesh is a home of 6.6 million working children and they are found working in almost all the sectors of the economy. The number of child workers increased from 2.5 million in 1974 to 6.6 million in 1995-96. This increasing trend in the number of child workers
indicates that the laws are not being properly implemented, monitored and regulated by the government.
Solution: Government regulatory bodies should ensure that child labor laws are being properly implemented, monitored and regulated so that child labor decreases in number and in the long run diminishes from our society. Since the number of child workers is increasing day by day, government should come forward with plans to implement and monitor the child labor laws effectively. It is then possible to eliminate child labor from our country since the laws will be strictly followed by all the employers of the various industries
Justification: The number of increasing child worker indicates that laws are not being followed by the employers of the various industries. There are many child labor laws which strict prohibit exploitation of child for their economic benefits. But due to the failure of the government and their regulatory systems, such laws are not properly implemented, monitored and executed. Therefore, if government takes this issue seriously and takes necessary actions to implement and monitor the child labor laws effectively, increasing trend in the number of child workers will decrease and diminish in the long run. It is the responsibility of the government regulatory bodies to ensure that child labor laws are being properly implemented, monitored and regulated so that child labor decreases in number and in the long run diminishes from our society.
Problem no- 3: Sacked child labors from various industries may end up getting involved in even more hazardous and exploitative activities such as stone crushing, steel hustling and prostitution. If the child labor laws are strictly followed by various industries, many child workers will be dismissed from the factories and may eventually end up getting involved in even more hazardous and exploitative activities such as stone crushing, steel hustling and prostitution. Since they will have no source of income, they may end up doing even more hazardous and exploitative activities in order to earn their living expenses.
Solution:
Government and NGOs should make sure that child labors who are being sacked by employers of various industries do not go astray and engage themselves in more dangerous activities which is both risky for their health and lives. If child workers are dismissed from various factories, they may engage themselves in more dangerous and exploitative activities such as stone crushing, steel hustling and prostitution. Therefore, government and NGOs should take measures to protect these sacked employees and help them earn a decent and non risky living. They should provide them with proper education and also give them money on a monthly basis so that they do not engage in dangerous exploitative activities in order to earn their living expenses.
Justification: If the child labor laws are strictly followed by various industries, many child workers will be dismissed from the factories. They still need to earn money to pay for their basic necessities. Since they are sacked by their employers and have no money, they end up doing anything and everything in order to get money. This eventually led to having engaged in even more hazardous and exploitative activities such as stone crushing, steel hustling and prostitution. If government and NGOs ensure that the child workers get education and money, they will be not be interested in engaging themselves in hazardous and exploitative activities such as stone crushing, steel hustling and prostitution.
Problem no- 4: Child labors are exposed to flames, harmful chemical substances, fumes, extreme heat or cold, etc while working in various factories without adequate safety measures which is risky for their health and lives. In many factories, it is a common scenario that child labors are exposed to flames, harmful chemical substances, fumes, extreme heat or cold, etc while working in various factories without adequate safety measures which is risky for their health and lives. Early involvement of children in work leads to serious health and developmental consequences. Child workers tend to develop muscular, chest and abdominal pain, headaches, dizziness, respiratory infections, diarrhoea and worm infection. Poor working conditions make them susceptible to infectious diseases, injuries and other workplace-related ailments. Many even experience amputations or loss of body parts.
Solution:
Initially, employers of various industries should provide the child workers with safe working environments and eventually retain policies to not hire child labor and also dismiss them in the long run. Child labors are exposed to flames, harmful chemical substances, fumes, extreme heat or cold, etc while working in various factories without adequate safety measures which is risky for their health and lives. Therefore, employers should provide the child worker with safe working environment with proper safety measures to protect them from any hazardous activities.
Justification: At the initial stage, employers of various industries should provide the child workers with safe working environments and eventually retain policies to not hire child labor and also dismiss them in the long run. This action is necessary since child workers are are exposed to flames, harmful chemical substances, fumes, extreme heat or cold, etc while working in various factories without adequate safety measures which is risky for their health and lives. Early involvement of children in work leads to serious health and developmental consequences. Poor working conditions make them susceptible to infectious diseases, injuries and other workplace-related ailments. Problem no-5: Child workers are being hired by the employers for their own benefits in the absence of strict hiring policies. Due to the absence of strict hiring policies, employers from various industries tend to hire child workers for their own benefits. The low cost of child workers always attracts employers of various industries. Employers are tempted to hire child labor because children are much less aware of their rights and most unlikely to get involved in trade unions. They are also more trustworthy, more willing to take orders and do monotonous work, and less likely to be absent from work.
Solution: Strict hiring policies should be implemented by the employers by verifying the age of the worker and also child worker should be replaced by older workers. Strict hiring policy will ensure that no child worker is being hired since age of the worker will be strictly verified by the employers during the recruitment process. Also child workers should be replaced by older workers which in turn will benefit the economy as unemployment rate will go down.
Justification:
Since there is no strict hiring policy, employers are engaging in the exploitation of child worker. The low cost of child workers always attracts employers of various industries. Employers are tempted to hire child labor because children are much less aware of their rights. Therefore, Strict hiring policy will ensure that no child worker is being hired since age of the worker will be strictly verified by the employers during the recruitment process. Also child workers should be replaced by older workers which in turn will benefit the economy as unemployment rate will go down. By taking such initiatives child labor rate will go down and economy will be benefited since more and more child will be educated rather than working in factories.
PROBLEM 1:
After the launch of the Compulsory Primary Education Program by the government all over the country, education still remains very expensive for a poor family since they have to bear the costs of uniform, transportation etc.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT? The overall cost of the education system in Bangladesh even after the establishment of Compulsory Primary Education Program by the government of the country is considered to be the main cause of concern. Hence if the government along with different organizations and NGO’s working with child labor in Bangladesh come forward and provide with more funding, decrease the cost of education for these poor kids, there is a higher probability that these poor kids will then go and join the schools for education.
Moreover, they can also locate the schools at a more convenient location where it will be easy for such students to bear less cost of transportation and therefore attend these schools. The government can also contribute in here by providing with children benefit at some extend to these families where children go out to work for their living as well as their education.
WHERE TO IMPLEMENT? This should be implemented at those rural areas where this program of Compulsory Primary Education is planned to execute and at those remote areas where people are actually the victims of poverty where it is very hard for the family to support themselves on a day to day basis. This will not only make the distance from schools less but will also help them financially to run their families. Not only in the short run will this help these people, but
eliminate child labor from different parts of the country but also give the nation educated children which will undoubtedly result in positive as a whole.
WHO TO IMPLEMENT? Here government can do its job the best more than anyone else as the government is taking the initiative in establishing the program for these poor children who are the victims of child labor. Alongside, NSO’s can also play a vital role in assisting the government in such type of scheme.
WHEN TO IMPLEMENT? This is a time consuming process when it comes to developing countries like Bangladesh where actions require quite some time to turn into reality. But it can be expected that the faster and quicker it is implementer the better result will be achieved which will benefit not only these poor children but their families and also the economy as a whole. PROBLEM 2: Increasing trend in the number of child workers indicates that the laws are not being properly implemented, monitored and regulated by the government. HOW TO IMPLEMENT? Over the last two decades, it is vividly seen that the trend of child labor in Bangladesh has gone up in a very drastic rate where it is so evident that the government could not control this incident to take place instead it went up at a more prominent rate. This proves that the labor laws of Bangladesh and also the child laws are not being monitored by the government at the very initial stage. Hence it is suggested that the government take initiatives to implement such laws properly, set up a regulatory body from time to time basis will monitor so that such actions are not taking place and also keep an eye on the proper utilization and follow up on such laws. They can also set up monitoring teams who will look upon different industries and factories at a zone basis where child labor is usually practiced.
WHERE TO IMPLEMENT? Implementation is to be done at those organizations, factories and industries where such type of laws are underestimated and children are hired as a means of labor to perform dangerous tasks hand in hand with the mature labors.
WHO TO IMPLEMENT? The government has the sole authority to look upon this matter by setting up a monitoring body and other observatory teams allotted to different zones and locations so that these industries and factories are aware of their labor laws while hiring and does not practice child labor.
WHEN TO IMPLEMENT? This needs to be implemented as soon as possible to decrease the trend and hence eliminate child labor gradually. PROBLEM 3: Sacked child labors from various industries may end up getting involved in even more hazardous and exploitative activities such as stone crushing, steel hustling and prostitution.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT? When the child labors are terminated from the work force, they will be more prone to adopt unfair means of earning money. For instance it has already been seen that these infant workers may engage themselves into work like stone crushing steel hustling, dealing with hard-hitting machineries and even engage themselves into prostitution. This is not only unhealthy for them but also for the economy as child labor will still remain in a negative manner.
Hence it is recommended that actions should be taken immediately after the firing of these kids from their job by providing with basic education and also providing them with other technical training by which they can earn some handsome amount to support themselves and their families. For instance, these kids may be given sewing and other handy crafts training by which they can work at their homes along with getting their basic education. This was mainly for girls, for boys, they can be given minute mechanical or agricultural training with which they can help out their families and once they can utilize their skills or may get engaged into other work.
The government may also come forward besides helping these children, by helping their families financially, to set up a small business or provide with small loans for which previously, they had to send their children out to work. If this can be taken care of, there is a bright light which shows the way to abolition of child labor from Bangladesh’s economy.
WHERE TO IMPLEMENT? This action needs to be instantly activated at areas and industries especially in the rural as well as the urban areas where these kids will have a wide horizon to get exploit and take up dishonest and dangerous task. This might also increase the rate of violence and dishonesty among them right after they are removed from a typical way of life.
WHO TO IMPLEMENT? Again both the government and different organizations working with child labor and NGOs providing with education and other training may come forward to implement the recommended thought for the sole interest of these child labors future and also for the betterment of the country’s economy.
WHEN TO IMPLEMENT? As soon as these employees as in the child labors are fired from their jobs, measures need to be taken and followed in order to prevent these children from going astray by taking up different means of unprotected and treacherous steps which will ruin their own lives along with their families as well result dreadful for the entire economy. PROBLEM 4: Child labors are exposed to flames, harmful chemical substances, fumes, extreme heat or cold, etc while working in various factories without adequate safety measures which is risky for their health and lives. HOW TO IMPLEMENT? The management here has the part to play in ensuring the safety of the child labors that are exposed to different kinds of risks which include working in harmful chemicals, fumes, dealing with dangerous machineries, in conditions like extreme heat and cold etc. Here the management of the companies are solely responsible for the risk of these kids who are being employed at such dangerous factories and working conditions. Hence it is their responsibility to not to hire children a s their labors but as this trend cannot be vanished in overnight, the management can take adequate measures to protect these kids from such injurious situations and provide them with proper and safe working conditions. The can
adopt different safety measures like providing them with gloves and face masks that will prevent their exposure to some extent.
WHO TO IMPLEMENT? The management has the direct authority to take care of such conditions where kids are exposed to such dangerous working conditions and the government needs to play its part so that child labor is not hired in such sections. WHEN TO IMPLEMENT? Initiatives need to be taken as soon as possible to act for the greater interest of the child laborers. PROBLEM 5: Child workers are being hired by the employers for their own benefits in the absence of strict hiring policies. HOW TO IMPLEMENT? This is done on the basis of the absence of a strict and proper hiring policy of the industries and factories that employ child labor. Here it should be implemented by setting up of a proper hiring and recruiting system of these industries where they will be completely aware of the age and ability over their own benefits. Here the employees may be asked for their national identity where their proper age will be stated and thus child labor will not be hired. Moreover, employers may employ more senior and proper aged employees instead of the poor children as their labors for their organization as the senior workers also work side by side with the child labors. This will not only help the economic condition of Bangladesh from the unemployment perspective but also many unemployed workers will get jobs to perform and earn a proper way of living.
WHERE TO IMPLEMENT? This implementation needs to be done at areas and localities where employment rate is very low where children will be replaced by older workers and where child labor is much more prominent. Such type is usually seen at rural areas where poverty strikes at an immense rate and also where child labor is adopted more frequently.
WHO TO IMPLEMENT?
This should be done directly by the management of such organizations who will have to take the initial step to eliminate child labor from within their organization and hire mature employees with greater potential instead of children. WHEN TO IMPLEMENT? Management can take these suggested ideas to be implemented as a serious issue and planning should be made available as early as possible.