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| Minimum Requirements |
Minimum Age Requirements for Employment in Pakistan
Introduction
In Pakistan, regulations exist to safeguard the rights and well-being of young workers. These laws aim to prevent child labor and ensure that children are not engaged in hazardous employment. Let’s delve into the specifics of minimum age requirements for employment in Pakistan.
Legal Framework
1. Constitutional Provisions:
- Article 11.3 of the Constitution of Pakistan explicitly states that “No child below the age of fourteen years shall be engaged in any factory, mine, or any other hazardous employment.”
- Similar safeguards are provided in Article 37 of the Constitution.
2. Factories Act 1934:
- Section 50 of the Factories Act 1934 reinforces the prohibition of employing young children. It states, “No child who has not completed his fourteenth year shall be allowed to work in any factory.”
- Children under the age of 14 cannot be employed in any public or private industrial undertaking involving processes dangerous to life, health, or morality.
- The Employment of Children Act, of 1991 provides a schedule of hazardous occupations and processes where employment of children under 14 is strictly prohibited.
- However, child workers are permitted to work as part of their family in processes not declared hazardous under Section 3 of the Act.
3. Minimum Age for Hazardous Work:
- The Employment of Children Act 1991 identifies four occupations and 34 processes where employment of children (under the age of 14) is prohibited.
- Notably, it does not set a higher minimum age for hazardous work.
- Some of the hazardous processes include:
- Transport of passengers or goods
- Underground mining
- Manufacturing
- Mixing and applying pesticides and insecticides
- Stone crushing
- Scavenging (including hospital waste)
- Working at railway stations or ports
- Carpet weaving
- Spice grinding
- Working in boiler houses
- Deep-sea fishing
- Construction
- Glass bangle industry
- Cement and explosives manufacturing
4. Night Work and Overtime:
- New legislation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh prohibits night work and overtime for child workers.
Recent Developments
1. Age Limits:
- The minimum age for starting work is 14 years under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2015, and the Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2017.
- Punjab has raised the minimum age for admission to work to 15 years under the Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Ordinance 2016.
Conclusion
Pakistan recognizes the importance of protecting its young workforce. By enforcing minimum age requirements, the country aims to create a safer and healthier environment for its children. Employers, policymakers, and society as a whole must continue to uphold these regulations to ensure the well-being of our future generations.
