Month: June 2021

ADDIS ABABA, June 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Child labour has risen for the first time in 20 years, the United Nations said on Thursday, with one in 10 children in work worldwide and millions more at risk due to COVID-19.

The number of child labourers has increased to 160 million from 152 million in 2016, with the greatest rise in Africa due to population growth, crises and poverty, said the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“We are losing ground in the fight against child labour, and the last year has not made that fight any easier,” UNICEF’s executive director Henrietta Fore said in a statement, ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour on June 12.

“Now, well into a second year of global lockdowns, school closures, economic disruptions, and shrinking national budgets, families are forced to make heart-breaking choices.”

The U.N. has made 2021 the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, saying urgent action is needed to meet a goal of ending the practice by 2025.

But major gains made since 2000 – when 246 million children were in work – are being reversed and the number could climb back to 206 million by the end of 2022 if governments introduce austerity measures or fail to protect the vulnerable, it said.

The U.N. said that child labourers may now be working longer hours or under worse conditions due to pandemic-related economic shocks and school closures, and many more may be forced into the worst forms of child labour.

The report highlighted an increase in the number of children aged 5 to 11 years in child labour, who now account for just over half of the total global figure, as well as a rise in those in hazardous work that is likely to harm their health or safety.

“This is what we have been able to measure prior to the pandemic,” Claudia Cappa, one of the report’s authors and senior adviser at UNICEF, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call from Geneva.

“If we look at the impact of COVID-19, this gives us additional reasons for concern.”

Cappa said that the number of child labourers could fall by 15 million with mitigation measures, such as universal child grants, and if free and good quality schooling up until the minimum age for employment was ensured.

Increased investment in rural development and decent work in agriculture, a sector that accounts for 70% of child labour, are also key, according to ILO’s director-general Guy Ryder.

“The new estimates are a wake-up call. We cannot stand by while a new generation of children is put at risk,” Ryder said.

“We are at a pivotal moment and much depends on how we respond. This is a time for renewed commitment and energy, to turn the corner and break the cycle of poverty and child labour.”

Meanwhile, the latest Thailand Working Children Survey, published in 2019, shows 177,000 child labourers in the country. There are 133,000 who work in hazardous conditions, 21.9% of whom are forced to carry heavy equipment, 7.4% work with dangerous chemicals, 3.8% work in extremely hot or cold places with high noise levels and another 3.8% had to work at night (10pm-6am).

The report also shows that 49.4% of child labourers surveyed work in the agricultural sector, 31.9% work in the trade and service sectors and 18.7% work in the industrial sector.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

Thailand is offering a rich menu of incentives for people to get jabs during the just-launched mass vaccination drive, with the country targeting herd community by year-end.

As of June 10, more than 5.66 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, while 4.13 million people had been jabbed at least once. Vaccinees are being rewarded for contributing to disease-control efforts with various benefits, including free food and greater freedom to travel.

Tempting treats for vaccinees

Zen Japanese restaurants have been offering free takoyaki (squid-batter balls) and AKA eateries have been giving free kimchi soup to vaccinees who order at least one item of paid food. Not in the mood for Japanese? Don’t worry, the same offer applies at Din outlets (free Taiwanese dumplings), at On the Table (free Arabiki sausage salad), Laoyuan by Tummour (free Tummour spicy salad), and at Khiang (chicken with holy basil and rice). The promotions run till June 30.

Meanwhile, Neo Suki is offering discounts for vaccinees till July 31, with its takeaway The Box set dropping from Bt799 to Bt699 and its dine-in Neo Hit set reduced to Bt200.

MBK Centre, meanwhile, is handing out Bt40 bags of rice to vaccinees who spend at least Bt100 at the mall from May 28 to June 30. They also get a choice of free popcorn or a beverage at Major Cineplex theatres till the end of this month.

Travel rewards are also on the menu.

Nakhonchai Air, which operates cross-country VIP buses, is offering jab recipients a 5 per cent discount on fares and NCA express delivery services.

Special offers for would-be vaccinees

If you are still waiting for your jab, don’t worry: you too get a tasty buffet of free promotions. Bar-B-Q Plaza and Joom Zap Hut, for example, are offering free fried gyoza worth Bt79 to customers who produce evidence of either a COVID-19 jab or vaccination booking on top of spending at least Bt120 at their outlets between June 1 and 14.

Sweet delight on vaccination day

Reports of side effects from vaccination, such as low fever, may leave Thais worried as they line up for the jab. However, Wall’s Thailand is lightening the mood by offering free ice-cream bars at vaccination sites from June 7 onward.

“We want to restore your smile,” said the company as it launched the pro-vaccination campaign to serve one million ice-cream bars at various jab stations around the country.

Meanwhile, the authorities in Chiang Mai’s Mae Chaem district are putting a cow up for draw every week in a bid to encourage villagers to get a jab. For 24 weeks, one lucky vaccinee will be randomly chosen every week to win a young cow worth about Bt10,000.

Other provinces have also come up with creative campaigns to motivate people to register, such as giving away gold necklaces.

Greater travel freedom

Several provincial authorities have imposed restrictions on people travelling from high-risk provinces such as Bangkok.

For example, Bangkok residents who want to visit Phuket must produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within seven days of arrival. If their destination is Samui, they must test negative three days prior to travelling.

However, the hassle of COVID-19 tests is removed completely for visitors who have already had their jabs. Phuket waives the test for any traveller who has already been fully vaccinated or has received at least one shot of AstraZeneca. Visitors to Samui require the full two-dose inoculation.

Jab recipients are also eligible for Thailand’s international vaccine certificate, which should remove obstacles to overseas travel under the “vaccine-passport concept”. Many countries, including those in the European Union and nations with tourism-dependent economies, are pushing ahead with vaccine passport plans or allowing vaccinated visitors to skip quarantine requirements.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is also developing an app called Travel Pass that will enable users to upload documentation that proves their vaccination status. It will also allow passengers to check health entry requirements for countries they plan to visit and find COVID-testing centers either before they travel or upon arrival.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)