Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Trinidad and Tobago (Ratification: 2004)

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in its report, that the National Child Policy 2020–30 is being implemented, and that the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour is developing an accelerated Action Plan for its implementation. However, the Committee notes that the Government does not provide information on the specific measures taken for the implementation of the National Child Policy, or on the results achieved so far. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the specific measures taken to implement the National Child Policy 2020–30, including by the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour through the accelerated Action Plan. It also requests the Government to provide detailed information on the impact of such measures and the results achieved towards the progressive elimination of child labour.

Article 3(1) and (2). Minimum age for admission to, and determination of, hazardous work. With regard to the list of hazardous types of work prohibited to children under 18 years of age, the Committee refers to its comments under the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

Labour inspection and application of the Convention in practice. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the ILO provided support to the Ministry of Labour by facilitating a number of training programmes, including: (1) strategic compliance planning for labour inspectors; and (2) capacity-building for labour inspectors to effectively interview children found in child labour. The Committee also notes from the Government’s report on the application of Convention No. 182, that the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour established four subcommittees to oversee critical activities, including a Subcommittee responsible for public awareness campaigns, capacity development and training of labour inspectors. The Committee takes note of the Government’s statement that, for the period 2020–22, 89 cases of child labour were reported in the sectors of agriculture, retail, catering and construction (including in the informal economy).

The Committee further takes note of the information of the Government that the Gender and Child Affairs Division is working on a Multidimensional Child Poverty Analysis with the support of UNICEF, which will provide information on the nature of child labour in the country and form the basis for the development and implementation of a Child Poverty Reduction Strategy. The Committee also notes the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2022, carried out with the collaboration of UNICEF, which highlights that, among the children surveyed, aged 5 to 17 years: (1) 4.2 per cent of children are engaged in an economic activity for a total number of hours at or above the age-specific threshold; (2) 0.1 per cent of children were involved in household chores for a total number of hours at or above the age-specific threshold; and (3) 2.7 per cent of children were engaged in hazardous work, including, but not limited to, exposure to dust, fumes or gas (1.6 per cent), exposure to loud noise or vibrations (0.8 per cent), exposure to extreme cold or heat (0.7 per cent) and carrying heavy loads (0.7 per cent). Noting that children continue to be engaged in child labour, including in hazardous work, the Committee requests the Government to strengthen its efforts to ensure the progressive elimination of child labour. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on: (i) any training activities provided to labour inspectors by the Subcommittee of the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour; (ii) any activities undertaken by the labour inspectorate in the area of child labour including the number of labour inspections carried out, the number and nature of violations detected as well as the number of convictions and the type of sanctions imposed; (iii) any follow-up measures taken regarding the 89 cases of child labour identified by the labour inspectorate between 2020 and 2022, including any sanctions imposed; and (iv) the results of the Multidimensional Child Poverty Analysis. Lastly, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide statistical information on the extent and nature of child labour in the country.