Officials have been unable to identify any cases of child labour in inspections of handicraft businesses, brick factories and sugarcane plantations, the Labour Minister said yesterday. The rights group Licadho last week warned that children are still being exploited in handicraft and brick factories across the country, despite efforts to put an end to child labour.

 

However Ith Samheng said his ministry had been unable to verify this and called on members of the public, parents and relevant organisations to report cases of child labour to the authorities if and when they saw them.  Mr Samheng was speaking to a crowd of more than 100 children and teachers at a celebration for the World Day Against Child Labour at the ministry.

 

He said the ministry’s inspection team investigated more than 379 handicraft and brick factories that employ 5,373 workers, but found no cases of child labour. The team also investigated the sugarcane industry and found the same.  “I want to call on parents, guardians, the public and relevant organisations to file complaints to labour officials if they come across a case of child labour,” Mr Samheng said. “We have the legal mechanism to solve the problem.” 

 

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/39520/ministry-finds-no-cases-of-child-labour/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khmer Times 21/06

 

Maybe if they stopped announcing their inspections, or maybe if they stopped looking the other way after receiving a big fat brown envelope .....