The document, which aims to combat and eradicate child labour, was approved at the Economic Commission meeting held today, under the guidance of President João Lourenço.
Speaking to the press, the Secretary of State for Labor and Social Security, Pedro Filipe, said that the State has international commitments, namely with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and internally it also has an action plan approved in 2021. , to combat child labour.
Pedro Filipe underlined that the General Labor Law allows minors between the ages of 14 and 18 to work, with the express permission of their parents, taking into account the interests of minors, namely not to harm their healthy growth and development, their academic progression and its psychic-emotional consolidation.
"We have seen a considerable increase in child labour, especially in agricultural activities, in the civil construction sector, in services and industries", said the Secretary of State for Labor and Social Security.
The official stressed that the situation has worsened "even more, since the covid-19 pandemic began to take hold in the country", noting that the phenomenon is transversal to almost all countries in the world, with main incidence on the African continent and Asian.
According to Pedro Filipe, Angola has a multisectoral commission that was set up last year, which is chaired by the Minister of Public Administration, Labor and Social Security, which has been carrying out a series of activities with the main purpose of combating child labour. .
The list of prohibited or conditioned work "is extremely extensive", stressed Pedro Filipe, highlighting work in the mines, crushers, gravedigger activities and some industries that manufacture toxic materials.
The decree also regulates working hours, which allow a maximum workload of four hours a day against the normal working hours of up to eight hours.
According to Pedro Filipe, the latest Multiple Indicators Survey, published by the National Statistics Institute (INE), which he acknowledged "is already outdated", pointed to more than 25,000 children in child labour.
"It is clear that this number is understated, we are aware that we will have to update this survey and we will have to share with society much more realistic statistics, because from our empirical observation, this already in the verification of the work of the multisectoral commission, we find that the numbers are far beyond these indicators", said the official, informing that work is already underway with INE to update this inquiry.
To control this phenomenon, the multisectoral commission has the collaboration of the general labor inspectorate and the participation of the Instituto Nacional da Criança, especially in the informal sector.
"There is a very large universe of children who are working, but outside the formal sector, namely agricultural activity, construction, we have been facing many children shining shoes in the street, we have been facing many children washing cars in the street", he described.
According to Pedro Filipe, the plan, in addition to repressive measures, includes assistance to families, through programs implemented by the executive.
"Because we understand that the social situation of some families inspires care, so many families are faced with these difficulties and allow younger children to be engaged in work activities", he observed.
