Minister of Labor, Yousef Al-Shamali, launched on Saturday, an awareness campaign, dubbed: “I don’t want to work, I want to learn,” on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL).
Jordan participates in the WDACL, to shed light on the problem of working children, how to end their dilemma, and to make the necessary efforts to eliminate the phenomenon by the three production parties: Governments, employers and workers in cooperation with all sectors of the local community and civil society institutions, said a ministry statement.
The minister noted Jordan’s Labor Law is in line with the most important international conventions to combat child labor, including Convention on the Rights of the Child issued by the United Nations, and the first two international labor conventions No. 138, which establishes “the minimum age for employment” and the second No. 182 on ” prohibition of the worst forms of child labour.”
Locally, he said Jordan’s Labor Law prohibits employment of juveniles if under sixteen years in any way, and also bans their employment in dangerous, exhausting or harmful work before reaching eighteen, provided that their working hours do not exceed 6 hours, with work barred at night and on public holidays.
Stressing the need to orchestrate efforts of all public and non-governmental stakeholders to reduce child labor, the minister highlighted the importance of role of society and the family, as well as employers in implementing all relevant legislation that preserves the child’s right to education.
In 2020, Al-Shamali noted the ministry carried out approximately 11,952 inspection visits, with 503 working children found, 265 warnings issued and 79 employer fined for breaching the labor law provisions.
Stressing the need to orchestrate efforts of all public and non-governmental stakeholders to reduce child labor, the minister highlighted the importance of role of society and the family, as well as employers in implementing all relevant legislation that preserves the child’s right to education.
In 2020, Al-Shamali noted the ministry carried out approximately 11,952 inspection visits, with 503 working children found, 265 warnings issued and 79 employers fined for breaching the labor law provisions.
The ministry also implemented four specialized campaigns to inspect or curb child labor, held related workshops and participated in training courses for employers to familiarize them with regulations and decisions pertaining to child labor.
Since the beginning of 2021 to the end of last May, he noted the ministry carried out 6,658 inspection visits that revealed 236 cases of working children, and issued 133 warnings and 45 tickets for the violations.
Source: Jordan News Agency