Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - South Africa (Ratification: 2000)

Article 1 of the Convention and Part V of the report form. National policy designed to ensure the effective abolition of child labour and application of the Convention in practice. The Committee previously noted Phase II of the Child Labour Programme of Action for the period 2009–12 (CLPA-II) was effectively implemented. The Committee also noted that a labour force survey was conducted in November 2010.

The Committee notes that the Government has communicated the results of the survey on child labour and other work-related activities in South Africa of 2010 (SAYP 2010). The SAYP 2010 found, over a period of 12 months, a total number of 268,000 children aged 7–17 years reported at least one kind of “market” economic activities, that is, work for a wage or salary, running of own business, or unpaid work in a family business, which amounts to 2.4 per cent of the total number of all children in this age group. When market and non-economic market work (that is, subsistence farming, collection of fuel and water, production of goods for household use, household construction, and catching of fish or animals for household consumption) are considered together, 31 per cent of children aged 10–15 years and 16 per cent of those aged 7–9 years were engaged in economic work. Overall, 16 per cent of children worked one to six hours on economic work, 5 per cent worked 7–13 hours, and 1 per cent each worked 14–20 hours and more than 21 hours per week. Moreover, a total of 90,000 children reported having been injured in the 12 months preceding the SAYP 2010 while doing an economic work activity. The Committee notes the indication in the SAYP 2010 that while the numbers involved in child labour are relatively low, and seem to have decreased over the years, the number affected – estimated at 821,000 – is large in absolute terms, and that these children need action to be taken. Consequently, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts to ensure the gradual elimination of child labour. In this regard, it requests the Government to provide information on the adoption of a national policy to combat child labour, including the possible extension of the CLPA. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to supply information on the application of the Convention in practice, including extracts from the reports of the inspection services, and information on the number and nature of infringements reported by these services.