The Kabarole district labour office is on the spot for failing to act as cases of child labour increase.
Last month, Tooro Children Network, a local Non Governmental Organization in Fort Portal, released a report indicating that there are more than 300 children under the age of 18 years engaged in child labour in Kabarole district and are being exploited. According to report, one of the reasons for the increase is the failure to enforce the laws.
According to the Ugandan labour law, a child under the age of 14 should not be employed in any business or workplace except for light work carried out under supervision of an adult and does not affect his or her education. The law also empowers any person who is concerned about the child’ s welfare and sees that the child is working in unsuitable conditions, to report the case to the labour officer in the district.
Section nine of the Children’s Statute also states that a child has a right not to be made to work or take part in any activity which is likely to injure the child’s education, health, mental, physical or moral development.
In Kabarole, however, children between the ages of 14 to 18 years continue to be employed in tea plantations, factories and in homes as house helpers and yet they are paid less money.
At Nyamuhanga tea factory in Hakibale Sub County, more than 30 children are employed to pluck tea and carry heavy sacks of green leaves to the factory.
Sam Mwesige, aged 13 years, says that he is paid 2,500 shillings at the end of the week. Mwesige, who is under the care of his grandmother, says that he was forced to seek employment after the death of his parents.
He says that apart from being paid small money, he and his colleagues are forced to work for long hours from 8am to 4pm every day.
At some of the employment bureaus in Fort Portal, young girls aged 13-16 years are taken to work in homes as maids and are paid less than 20,000 shillings.
Christopher Monday, the District Labour Officer, says that he is aware that the number is high, but he has nothing to do. He says that shortage of staff is hindering enforcement of the law. He says that the labour office is supposed to have two assistants to inspect places of work to ensure that young children aren’t employed.
//Cue in: “We rely on inspectors…
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Lillian Mugerwa, the executive director Platform for Labour Action (PLA), a civil society organization which promotes labour rights in the country, says that if the labour offices have failed to enforce the laws, districts should pass by-laws against child labour.
She also says that some employers are ignorant of the labour laws because they have not sensitised by the labour officers.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Affair, Uganda has 2.7 million children subjected to forced labour.
