India News | Trade Unions Urge Odisha Govt, Centre to Take Measures to Address Child Labour Problem
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Trade unions have voiced concern over children being forced to work and urged the Odisha government and the Centre to take appropriate measures to address the menace of child labour, officials said on Saturday.
Bhubaneswar, Jun 12 (PTI) Trade unions have voiced concern over children being forced to work and urged the Odisha government and the Centre to take appropriate measures to address the menace of child labour, officials said on Saturday.
Job loss, wage cut and lack of social security for workers and their families during the coronavirus pandemic have left many children vulnerable to exploitation, said Ramachandra Khuntia, president of Indian National Building Construction and Wood Workers Federation.
Unless urgent measures are taken by the state and central governments, the COVID-19 crisis is likely to push thousands of children to work as child labourers across districts, he said in a statement on Saturday.
Khuntia, who chaired a meeting of trade unions here on Friday, called for collective efforts and actions by all the key stakeholders.
World Day Against Child Labour observed on June 12 every year aims to raise awareness and activism to prevent such menace.
The UN General Assembly has declared 2021 as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.
Children have been the worst hit in the COVID-19 crisis due to the shift to online learning with no attention to accessibility, resources and availability of infrastructure, Khuntia said.
"Technology could be a boon only to those who have access to it and who could afford it. Otherwise, it could further alienate and marginalise the weaker sections of the society, who lack the means, resources and also knowledge to use it," he said.
Trade unions have to ensure that rights of workers and their families are protected, besides fair and equal access to quality education to their children, he added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)