Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Papua New Guinea (Ratification: 2000)

The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments initially made in 2013.

Repetition

Article 1 of the Convention. National plan of action and application of the Convention in practice. The Committee previously noted the comments made by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) that child labour occurred in rural areas, usually in subsistence agriculture, and in urban areas in street vending, tourism and entertainment. It noted that Papua New Guinea was one of the 11 countries that participated in the 2008–12 ILO–IPEC Time-bound Programme entitled “Tackling child labour through education” (TACKLE project) which aimed at contributing to the fight against child labour.

The Committee notes from the Government’s report under the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), that within the framework of the TACKLE project, a rapid assessment was carried out in Port Moresby targeting children working on the streets and those involved in commercial sexual exploitation. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the findings of the rapid assessment conducted in Port Moresby were alarming and that it is believed that a similar child labour situation is occurring in other regions of the country. The rapid assessment findings indicate that children as young as 5 and 6 years of age are working on the streets and about 68 per cent of them worked under hazardous conditions. About 47 per cent of the street children between 12 and 14 years of age have never been to school and a further 34 per cent had dropped out of school. The Committee expresses its deep concern at the situation of children under 16 years of age who are compelled to work in Papua New Guinea. The Committee, therefore, urges the Government to strengthen its efforts to improve the situation of children working under the age of 16 years and to ensure the effective elimination of child labour. Noting that there is no concrete or reliable data reflecting the real situation of children in the rest of the country, the Committee urges the Government to undertake a national child labour survey to ensure that sufficient up-to-date data on the situation of working children in Papua New Guinea is available.

Article 2(1). Minimum age for admission to employment. The Committee had previously noted that, although the Government of Papua New Guinea had declared 16 years to be the minimum age for admission to employment or work, section 103(4) of the Employment Act permits a child of 14 or 15 years to be employed during school hours if the employer is satisfied that the child is no longer attending school. It also noted that, by virtue of sections 6 and 7 of the Minimum Age (Sea) Act, 1972, the minimum age to perform work on board ships is 15 years and 14 years, respectively.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Australian Assistance for International Development through its Facilities and Advisory Services in close consultation with the ILO–IPEC and the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations has undertaken a review of the Employment Act and that the amendment process is ongoing. It also notes the Government’s indication that this process will also address the issue related to the minimum age stipulated under the Minimum Age (Sea) Act, 1972. Noting that the Government has been referring to the review of the Employment Act and the Minimum Age (Sea) Act for a number of years, the Committee once again urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the proposed amendments are adopted in the near future. In this regard, it expresses the hope that the amended provisions will be in conformity with Article 2(1) of the Convention.

Article 2(3). Age of completion of compulsory education. The Committee previously noted that education is neither universal nor compulsory in Papua New Guinea, and that the law does not specify a legal age for entering school or an age at which children are permitted to leave school. It noted that the Education Department has developed a ten-year National Education Plan for 2005–15 (NEP) to enable more children to be in school. However, the Committee observed that the NEP seemed intended to make only three years of basic education compulsory up to the age of 9. Moreover, the Committee noted that according to the ITUC, the gross primary enrolment rate was 55.2 per cent, and only 68 per cent of these children remain at school up to the age of 10, while only less than 20 per cent of the country’s children attend secondary school.

The Committee notes from the Government’s report under Convention No. 182 that the NEP is being supported by donor agencies to implement programmes focusing on formal education and non-formal education (NFE), including assistance from the Asian Development Bank and the European Union in order to extend the NFE to the needy and the disadvantaged. The Committee notes, however, that according to the findings of the rapid assessment conducted in Port Moresby during 2010–11, although educational reforms are in place, 92.2 per cent of those children who enrolled in grade 3 would drop out along the way. The Committee expresses its deep concern at the significant number of children under the minimum age of admission to work who are not attending school. In this regard, the Committee must emphasize the desirability of linking the age of completion of compulsory schooling with the minimum age for admission to work, as provided under Paragraph 4 of the Minimum Age Recommendation, 1973 (No. 146). If compulsory schooling comes to an end before young persons are legally entitled to work, there may arise a vacuum which opens the door to the economic exploitation of children (see 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions concerning rights at work, paragraph 371). Therefore, considering that compulsory education is one of the most effective means of combating child labour, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures, particularly within the framework of the NEP, to provide for compulsory education for boys and girls up to the minimum age for admission to employment of 16 years. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the progress made in this regard.

Article 3(1) and (2). Minimum age for admission to, and determination of, hazardous work. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that while certain provisions of the national legislation prohibit hazardous work for children under the age of 16 years, there exist no provisions protecting children between the ages of 16–18 years from hazardous work. The Committee also noted the absence of any list of types of hazardous work prohibited to children under the age of 18 years.

The Committee notes from the Government’s report that the ongoing legislative review of the Employment Act will ensure the compliance of the provisions of the Convention related to hazardous work. The Committee expresses the firm hope that the amendments to the Employment Act, which will include a prohibition on hazardous work for children under the age of 18 years as well as a determination of types of hazardous work prohibited to such children, will be adopted in the near future. It requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard.

Article 3(3). Admission to types of hazardous work from the age of 16 years. The Committee previously noted that the conditions of work for young people would be examined through the ongoing Employment Act review and that the legislation relating to occupational safety and health shall also be reviewed in a way to ensure that hazardous work does not affect the health and safety of young workers. The Committee once again expresses the strong hope that the review of the Employment Act and of the legislation pertaining to occupational safety and health will be completed as soon as possible. It also hopes that the amendments made to the legislation will include provisions requiring that young persons between 16 and 18 years of age who are authorized to perform hazardous types of work receive adequate specific instruction or vocational training in the relevant branch of activity. It requests the Government to provide information on the progress made in this regard in its next report.

Article 9(3). Registers of employment. The Committee previously noted that the Employment Act does not contain any provision requiring the employer to keep registers and documents of people under the age of 18 working for them. It also noted that section 5 of the Minimum Age (Sea) Act provides for registers to be kept by people having command or charge of a vessel, which contains particulars such as the full name, date of birth, and the terms and conditions of service of each person under 16 years of age employed on board the vessel. The Committee requested the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that, in conformity with Article 9(3) of the Convention, employers are obliged to keep registers that shall contain the names and ages or dates of birth, duly certified wherever possible, of persons whom they employ or who work for them and who are less than 18 years of age.

The Committee once again notes the Government’s information that this issue will be addressed within the review of the Employment Act. The Committee expresses the firm hope that the Government will take the necessary measures, without delay, to ensure that employers are obliged to keep register of all persons below the age of 18 years who work for them and to provide information with regard to the progress made in ensuring that the Employment Act and the Minimum Age (Sea) Act are in conformity with Article 9(3) of the Convention.

The Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts to ensure that, during its review of the Employment Act and the Minimum Age (Sea) Act, due consideration is given to the Committee’s detailed comments on the discrepancies between national legislation and the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in the review of these Acts in its next report and invites the Government to consider seeking technical assistance from the ILO.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.

The Committee expects that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.