Child labour Laws: The Consistency and Compliance of Zambian Legislation in International Standards and the Role of te Ministry of Labour and Social security in Implementing and Enforcing the Law on Child labour

Abstract

The welfare of children is of utmost importance to the growth and development of society. There is thus need for society to ensure that the proper development of children into productive adults is not inhibited by engaging in child labour. This research study was thus aimed at determining the extent to which child labour legislation complies with international law on child labour and the efficacy of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in implementing and enforcing child labour legislation. A number of international instruments aimed at increasing the minimum age for at which a child can perform certain types of work and abolishing and preventing child labour have been adopted with the most comprehensive being the ILO Convention on Minimum Age No. 138 of 1973 and the Convention on Worst Forms of Child Labour No. 182 of 1999. The Zambian government has enacted several laws aimed at eliminating and preventing child labour. It has also taken measures ensuring that the legislation conforms to international standards. However the law on child labour in Zambia still contains provisions that are inconsistent with international standards that need to be amended and aligned with international standards. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has been mandated to enforce and implement child labour laws such as the Employment of Young Persons and Children Act but has been unable to adequately prevent and eliminate child labour due to insufficient resources and the lack of protection by the law of labour inspectors. Recommendations on eliminating and preventing child labour have thus been made.