Children Must Be In School Not At Work - Experts

Child labour has sharply declined in post-apartheid South Africa, due to the department of employment and labour's enforcement of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, according to experts.

- Brian Sokutu

This became apparent with World Day Against Child Labour last week.

First declared by the International Labour Organisation in 2002, World Day Against Child Labour is intended to foster the worldwide movement against child labour.

According to United Nations agency Unicef, child labour still affects nearly 138 million children worldwide.

Unicef maintains children globally are routinely engaged in paid and unpaid forms of work.

Cosatu national spokesperson Matthew Parks said while the Act prohibited the employment of minors, South Africa has seen "many employers ignore it".

Parks said significant abuses occurred in the agricultural, transport and retail sectors.

"Cosatu and its affiliates have focused on ensuring employers comply with the labour laws exposing those who break the law and reporting offenders to the department of employment and labour," he said.