The Child Labour Unit of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment has charged an employer for employing a 15-year-old boy in his construction company.

Minister for Labour Jone Usamate said the child was carrying out work on a building when he fell and broke his arm.

The case will be called for mention next Thursday at the Employment Relations Tribunal in Suva.

Usamate said such exploitation of children will not be tolerated and warned that employers practicing this will be taken to task.

He said that they are currently in the process of charging few other employers who have employed children in hazardous and harmful environments and have breached the provisions of the Employment Relations Promulgation 2007.

He said that a child should not be deprived of education by making them work during school hours and they should not be exposed to heavy physical labour and hazardous and dangerous chemicals.

Any employer or any person employing children outside the provisions of the ERP can face a fine ranging from $10,000 or two years imprisonment or both for an individual and $50,000 for a corporation.


Story by: Sneh Chaudhry