TIMB urges industry to walk the talk on child labour
AS the country moves to ring-fence its tobacco’s global appeal from being tampered with, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) recently hosted a cross sector child labour workshop to reinforce compliance with sustainable production practices.
Running under the theme: “Unifying effects against child labour in Zimbabwe,” the event that was held in Harare brought together various players in the general agriculture, tobacco, mining, domestic, commercial/retail sectors as well as international organisations.
The National Employment Council (NEC) acting chief designated agent, Mrs Esther Chivabvu said Zimbabwe was not spared from various forms of child labour hence the need for an all-stakeholder approach towards eradication of child labour.
“The NEC plays an important role in education, awareness, checking and enforcing compliance in labour laws as well as legislation and policy development. It advocates a holistic approach by collaborations and inclusivity of various sectors, development partners, Government agencies, communities, schools, village heads, employers and trade unions,” she said.
NEC was created by an act of parliament (Labour Act Chapter 28:01) with the primary function of promoting and maintaining industrial harmony for enhancement of productivity across different sectors of the economy.
The United Nations International Children Emergence Fund (Unicef) (2021) defines child labour as “work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity and that is harmful to physical and mental development.”
Essentially, Zimbabwe has ratified all the relevant International Labour Organisation (ILO) child labour conventions and United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and embedded these commitments within its national policies and frameworks under Constitution of Zimbabwe 2013, Children Act Chapter 5.06, Education Act Chapter 25.04, Labour Act Chapter 28.01, Mines and Minerals Act, Education Act, Child Protection and Adoption Act among others.
It has also established National Action Plan on Child Labour to stop child labour in a variety of industries as well as the National Steering Committee on Child Labour comprising Government agencies, social partners and other relevant stakeholders to lead and coordinate action against child labour.
The 2019 Labour Force and Child Labour Survey (LFCLS) estimated the Zimbabwe total population at 14, 2 million out of 29 percent were aged 5 to 14 years with about one percent estimated to be in child labour. A total of 71 percent of children in child labour were in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries.
The survey established that child labour in the tobacco sector was 26 percent in children aged between five and 17, with communal tobacco farming areas having the highest proportion at 45, followed by A1 tobacco farmers.
The country has since scored successes which include, gazetting of hazardous tasks list, establishment of a new sustainability unit for TIMB, Tobacco Leaf Exporters Association of Zimbabwe (TLEAZ) coordinated child labour working group (incorporating TIMB, TLEAZ, NEC, workers and grower unions), development and adoption of a tobacco industry agricultural labour practices code, consistent trainings, monitoring of child labour and mitigation initiatives.
Events communication and media advisory (ECOMA) director Mr Samuel Muleya said the Government of Zimbabwe was committed to promote children’s rights as defined by the constitution of Zimbabwe, United Nations (UN) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and other relative regional and international organisations.
“It has also put some social protection measures to assist vulnerable households and children across the country. However, Government cannot do it alone it, requires the effort of all players from civil society and international organisations to eradicate child labour,” he said.
The Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Growing (ECLT) Foundation board president Mr Michiel Reerink concurred, saying it was important to look at issues of child labour holistically and not in isolation.
“It is very important not to look at child labour as a sector in isolation but holistically from farmer, village, crop to country. The main purpose of the workshop is to find alignment, shared action, opportunities for working together among sectors as a catalyst for action,” he said.
Mr Reerink said ECLT has been active in Zimbabwe since 2018 at the invitation of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and a lot has been achieved over the years culminating in the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2022.
“Child labour can be defined in many ways with the ILO definition being the most used, but generally no child should work instead of going to school or work should not prevent the child from getting a proper education and work should not expose a child to any hazard defines child labour,” he said.
He said according to the ILO survey, 160 million children were in child labour worldwide with half in sub-Saharan Africa.