Punjab sets minimum age for employment at 16 years

In a bid to discourage child labour, the Punjab government on Thursday increased the minimum age for employment to 16 years.

A meeting presided by labour minister Faisal Ayub decided to take strict action against child labour across the province.

According to a report, over 20 million underage children work in the different sectors of the country, of which 14 percent belong to Punjab. 

The Punjab Domestic Worker Act 2019 stated that children below the age of 15 were not allowed to work.

“No child under the age of 15 years shall be allowed to work in a household in any capacity. No domestic worker under the age of 18 years shall be engaged in domestic work except involving light work in a household,” the article read.

Similarly, Article 25A of the constitution of Pakistan instructed that it is the responsibility of the state to provide education to children under the age of 16.

“The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law,” stated the law.

However, according to the UN data, as many as 22.8 million children aged between 5 and 16 are out of school in Pakistan, many of them working for their household.

Apart from this, the meeting also fixed a minimum wage of Rs37000 for labour and decided to form a task force to implement the decision.

Provincial Minister Faisal Ayub directed ensuring the transaction of labourers’ salaries via bank accounts.

He advised the concerned to establish a complaint cell to address the labourers’ issues with the hidden identity of complainants.

Ayub encouraged the formation of labour unions and associations, saying the government is mulling bringing employee agencies under the law.