To effectively safeguard children in the realm of labour mobility, it is essential for the Government, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and other stakeholders to work together.
Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh stressed this point during a parliamentary session on Monday when addressing questions about the implications of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) program on children. He also outlined what the ministry is doing to tackle these challenges.
Mr. Singh highlighted the necessity of protecting children’s rights in the context of labour mobility and pointed out the risks associated with family separation. He proposed several measures aimed at preventing harm to children, such as establishing a working group to monitor the issues faced by children of workers.
Additional strategies include reviewing client registration forms to gather information on children left in the care of guardians when parents participate in the labour program, enhancing data collection methods, and revising the recruitment process to discourage both parents from joining the scheme.
“Comprehensive strategies are needed to uphold our children’s rights and mitigate risks stemming from family separation due to labour mobility,” he stated.
Mr. Singh further noted that the Government’s goal is to ensure the safety and support of children whose parents are engaged in labour mobility while also improving workplace protections for migrant workers through enhanced data collection and financial literacy initiatives.