TFT clarifies report on child labour in Sabah
Published on: Sunday, June 24, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: The Forest Trust (TFT) has refuted the claim in a Bernama report on June 21 that "the Labour Department, Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR), in collaboration with TFT in several districts in Sabah, found that children and youths were only accompanying their elders who worked as farm labourers."A TFT spokesperson said the trust has not conducted any field assessments or verification visits to any Labour Department offices in Sabah. She said the Bernama statement that "children and young persons are only seen to be helping their parents at work and not viewed as child labourers" does not accurately reflect TFT's understanding and position on the matter.
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She clarified that child labour is not solely defined by compulsion of children to work as according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), child labour refers to work that deprives children of their childhood, potential and dignity, is harmful to their physical and mental development; work that is mentally, physically, social or morally dangerous and harmful to children, and interferes with their schooling (ILO Minimum Age Convention (C138)."When companies and smallholder farmers are sourcing children and young persons as seasonal and irregular workers, coupled with the absence of policy commitment and procedures to prohibit child labour on site, we are of the view that these practices would contribute in the actual incidence of child labour. "Hence, we encourage relevant authorities to address this matter seriously. Moreover, it is imperative that there are clear policies and legal guidelines for businesses and the community to know what child labour is, so as to avoid it. This includes having a list of hazardous work that no child or young workers under 18 can engage in," she said.
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For the record, TFT has been undertaking field assessments in collaborations with their members in the Sabah plantation sector since 2013. In September 2017, the trust held a consultation on children in plantations in Sabah, where company representatives shared their concerns and challenges relating to children living in or near plantations.
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The findings of the report are available at the website http://www.tft-earth.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ TFT-Children-in-Plantations-of-Sabah-report.pdf.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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