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

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Trinidad and Tobago (Ratification: 2003)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (c). Use, procuring or offering a child for illicit activities. The Committee previously urged the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the Children’s Bill was reviewed and subsequently adopted, to prohibit the use, procuring or offering of children under 18 years of age for the production and trafficking of drugs.

The Committee notes that the Children’s Act, 2012, was passed on 6 August 2012. It notes with interest that section 37 of this Act provides that a person who uses a child or causes a child to be used as a courier, in order to sell, buy or deliver a dangerous drug or substance commits an offence and is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of 50,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) and imprisonment for ten years, or on conviction on indictment, to a fine of TTD100,000 and to imprisonment for 20 years. However, the Committee notes that this Act will only become effective once it is proclaimed on the date fixed by the President, in accordance with section 1(2) of the Act. The Committee therefore requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the Children’s Act, 2012, is proclaimed without delay. It requests the Government to provide information on the progress made in this regard.

Article 4(1). Determination of hazardous work. The Committee previously noted the Government’s statement that work had begun to create a list of hazardous occupations. The Committee noted the Government’s statement that a governmental delegation attended the ILO Subregional Workshop on the Elimination of Hazardous Child Labour for Select Caribbean Countries in October 2011. It noted that the report of this delegation would contain recommendations to assist in the development of a list of occupations deemed hazardous.

The Committee notes that the Government provides no information on this point in its report. Recalling that, pursuant to Article 1 of the Convention, each member that ratifies the Convention shall take immediate measures to ensure the prohibition of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency, and noting that work on the list of occupations deemed hazardous to children has been ongoing since 2004, the Committee once again urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure the adoption of this list in the very near future, following consultation with the social partners. It once again requests the Government to provide a copy of this list once it has been adopted.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.