Church joins ILO in call for child-labor ban

THE Child Welfare Desk of Jakarta archdiocese and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have joined calls by a child protection body urging the government to abolish child labor in Indonesia.

Herman Yosef Marsudi, chairman of the welfare desk, an arm of the archdiocese’s social institution Lembaga Daya Dharma, said the Church will back any move to reduce the number of child workers.

“We support total abolition. These children need a proper education,” said Marsudi.

Peter Van Rooij, executive director of the ILO’s International Affairs bureau in Jakarta, said his organization will also support efforts to end child labor in Indonesia, “which has shown some improvement since early 2000.”

They voiced their support after the National Commission for Child Protection called on the government to take concrete steps to abolish child labor.

Full report at ucanews.com