-7-
CONCLUSION
The significance of the incidence of child labour where it occurs
can only be assessed in the light of local social and economic
conditions. In Hong Kong most of the classic factors causing child labour persist. They are:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
low family income
inadequate social security
insufficient and unenforced secondary education to the
legal limits for work
sentences on employers convicted of offences against labour
regulations which are in no way deterrent.
an under-staffed labour inspectorate, whose task is made the
more difficult by all the preceding factors.
The evidence shows that where children are at work they are
economically exploited in conditions which are often both unhealthy
and unsafe.
The Anti-Slavery Society welcomes the decision to introduce legislation forbidding the employment of children under [14] It
foresees great difficulty in enforcing such legislation, however, until remedies are applied to mitigate the effects of the factors
listed above.
Ꮑ
IS
The Government of Hong Kong has no specific programme to
mark 1979 as the International Year of the Child, but if, these difficulties can be faced, there could be no more fitting way in
which to mark it athan by the elimination of child labour.
food