Apenisa Waqairadovu 
The Fiji Teachers Union is working on a report that will be submitted to the government in relation to child labour issues in the country.
A recent report by the International Labour Organization prompted the FTU to host meetings in three divisions to try and address the rising problem.
The report reveals that following COVID-19, an additional eight million children globally have been forced into child labour.
[File Photo]
FTU Assistant General Secretary Rajnesh Lingam says Fiji is not spared, and thus actions are being taken.
Lingam says the report will be submitted to the government for further consideration.
The discussions happened in the southern, northern, and western divisions.
“Robust discussion took place during the day. Teachers came up with the definition of child labour and the causes of child labour, and we were shocked with some of the causes that were identified because of the experiences that they actually went through in their schools.”
Lingam says the strategy was implemented and presented to the FTU, and this will be submitted to the government.
The FTU Assistant General Secretary is calling on teachers to support the work of ending child labour in the country.
He says their involvement with students on a daily basis allows them to identify social problems faced by students and thus can help address issues that see children going into the child labour industry.
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