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AFC, Labour Minister clash on child work proposal

Mar 21, 2010 News

A proposal by the Ministry of Labour to allow children between the ages of 13-15 to work has elicited criticism from a major opposition party, and there is now a call for a debate on the issue.
Minister Manzoor Nadir, in a statement yesterday, noted the sharp response by the Alliance For Change (AFC) to his announcement that he is considering amendment to the labour laws to allow for young persons, 13 to 15 years old, to work under certain conditions.
“The Minister notes that the Alliance For Change, however, has again tried to mislead our people by making it sound as if the Minister’s announcement seeks to allow such young persons to work without condition,” the statement indicated.
Nadir  is of the opinion that the legislation needed to be re-examined to allow young persons of this age to work under certain conditions.
These include the possibility of limiting the work to 3-4 hours with no work beyond 5 pm.  Only light work can be done and there will be no work with hazardous chemicals or in dangerous environment.
The Minister further declared that he welcomed a public discussion on the matter.
“There are pros and cons, so let the views be heard. The AFC, as usual, feels that they are the divine gift to humanity. They have already painted themselves into a corner, but I thank them for starting the discussion.”
Early last week, the Minister, during a press conference to clear up reports that the country has a child labour problem, said that he is willing to consider children between the ages of 13 to 15 years to work, but with conditions.
On Friday last, the AFC said that the Minister’s proposal was implausible.
“Unbelievable and disgraceful are the only words the AFC can find to describe Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir’s statement that he will be introducing legislation to lower the age limit for children to commence working from 15 to 13. The AFC states categorically, that it will never support any legislation, or initiative, to reduce of the age at which a child can be allowed to work.”
AFC said that the laws that were introduced in 1994 which set the minimum age at 15 were done with good reason, taking into account international conventions, and the scourge of child labour and exploitation that had started to rear its ugly head in Guyana.  “The PPP/C should have been pushing a programme to educate children aged 13, and not one that will see our children going into the fields, factories and offices to work at that tender age. What manner of man is the Minister of Labour?”
The AFC called for an explanation from the President as to whether this is the opinion of his government. The party also called on all Guyanese to voice their objections to “this latest outrage.”

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