Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Ethiopia (Ratification: 1999)

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy and application of the Convention in practice. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s participation in the project entitled “Ethiopians Fighting Against Child Exploitation” (2011–15) (E-FACE), which aims to work with local government agencies (among others) to combat child labour, particularly by strengthening educational services aimed at sustainably reducing the number of children aged 5–17 years engaged in and at risk of child labour in target sectors and areas. It also noted the adoption of a National Action Plan (2011–17) to prevent child labour exploitation, and requested the Government to provide information in this regard.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the E-FACE project has finalized its operation and its best practice is now followed by a community-based practice where the community has established a grain bank support system that is provided for the vulnerable people in the community, including children. The Government also indicates that the Community Care Coalition is also another initiative at the community level whereby in-kind and cash support is used to prevent child labour. The Committee observes that according to the 2015 Child Labour Survey results, 51 per cent of children aged 5–17 years are engaged in economic activities. Boys were more involved in economic activities than girls, especially in the rural areas where respectively 67.8 per cent and 46.5 per cent were working. The proportion of children who participated in economic activities among the 14–17 years age group was 65.4 per cent, while that of the 5–11 years age group was 41.7 per cent (page xii). The Committee also notes that the major components of the National Action Plan (2011–17) include: (i) protecting children against exploitation, abuse and violence; (ii) providing assistance to children in especially difficult situations; and (iii) reducing child labour. The Survey also refers to the Education and Training Policy that provides for non-formal education targeting out-of-school children and the establishment of community skills training centres in rural communities. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the results achieved to ensure the effective abolition of child labour, within the framework of the National Action Plan (2011–17) as well as the Education and Training Policy. The Committee also requests that the Government provide detailed information on the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice, including, for example, statistical data on the employment of children and young persons, extracts from the reports of the inspection services, and information on the number and nature of violations detected and penalties applied involving children and young persons.

Article 3. Hazardous work and vocational education. The Committee previously noted that section 4(1) of the Decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of 2 September 1997 concerning the prohibition of work for young workers contains a detailed list of types of hazardous work and a general prohibition of all other kinds of work likely to jeopardize the young worker’s morals or physical condition/health. The Committee observed that, according to section 4(2) of the Decree, the prohibition set out in section 4(1) does not apply to persons who carry out such activities in the course of professional education in vocational centres. Finally, the Committee noted that while the abovementioned Decree of 1997 had been amended, young persons under the age of 18 years who carry out work in the course of professional education in vocational schools remain outside the scope of the Decree.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that vocational training is provided upon the completion of secondary education, that is completion of grade 10, during which time most children have reached the age of 17, or at least 16, which is in line with the Convention. According to the Government, in practice, there is no evidence of involvement of children in hazardous types of work and most training centres are government-owned that follow strict supervision and guidance of the trainees and there is a constant supervision by the Government on the activities of privately-owned centres, even though it is not clearly mentioned in the directive that the children are being protected in practice. The Committee reminds the Government that the exception outlined in Article 3(3) of the Convention provides that national laws or regulations may authorize hazardous work for young persons over the age of 16 (following consultation with the organizations of employers and workers concerned) provided that their health, safety and morals are fully protected and that they have received adequate specific instruction or vocational training in the relevant branch of activity. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to ensure that children between 16 and 18 years of age, who are following courses in vocational schools and might perform hazardous work, receive specific instruction or vocational training in the relevant branch of activity.

[The Government is asked to supply full particulars to the Conference at its 108th Session and to reply in full to the present comments in 2019.]