CHILD LABOUR, WE ALL PROBLEM

By: Wahyudi Oetomo

All children in this country is the future asset of this nation in the future. And all of them would agree that all children in this country should grow natural and healthy, physically and mentally. None of the parents were willing to let their children take responsibility for the family's needs. Although in the end, some parents "forced" to let their children participate to support their families due to the inability of parents to meet the economic needs of the family.

Child labor , referring to the workers under the age of 18 years. Child labor grows due to the inability of parents to meet the economic needs of the family. Most of the growth of child labor because of poverty. The greater the number of child laborers in the country. it could be an indication that the poverty rate in this country is also high. According to data from the National Commission for Child Protection, the number of child workers in Indonesia in 2010, about 3.5 million children, according to BPS data, while there are about 4 million children aged 7 to 18 tender had to work to meet the economic needs of their families. Workers' children are included throughout the territory of Indonesia, which is spread in an area where workers such as ports, industrial, mining, plantation, and households.

If the poverty rate in the country continues to rise, the effort to reduce or even eliminate child labor is very difficult (if not to say impossible). Task reduce and eliminate child labor formally exists in the government, but if it is not supported by others who come into contact with child labor problems, then this business will be very hard for the government.
In 2011, the government is targeting as many as 3,360 child labor can be drawn from the workplace. Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar in a meeting with House of Representatives Commission IX says: "I declare warning to companies and parents who employ children. Was a clear warning, we warn once again, those who violate will be dealt with according to law."

According to the minister, the government is committed to eliminate child labor. This commitment is seen with both the ratification of ILO Convention (International Labour Organisation) No. 138 concerning the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment and No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate action is the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child. In addition to the technical content of the substance of the two ILO Conventions contained in Law No. 13 Year 2003 on Manpower. Therefore, the offenders could be snared Labor Law (Law no. 13 of 2003) and the Law on Ratification of the ILO Convention on the Worst Job for children (Act No.20 of 1999 and Law No. 1., 2000) or the Law Violence Household.

Then, whether just giving warning to the parent company and, under penalty of severe child labor problems can easily be solved? If the growth of child labor merely exploiting children to acquire economic interests, because the wages of child labor is much cheaper than adult workers, then eradicate child labor will be easy to do. But, if the growth of child labor because of the demands of meeting the needs of the stomach, then the issue of child labor is not sufficiently resolved by way of giving a warning and a threat to the company and the parents who encourage the practice of child labor.

When parents do not have the option to meet the economic needs of families in addition to employing children is traded child (Child trafficking). Both forms of exploitation of children should indeed be stopped. Reason for poverty is not a justification to exploit children, so that his future will be dark, especially since the children did not have a chance to get a good education.
Raise awareness about the importance of giving space for children to grow and develop in a healthy and reasonable, to parents who came from poor families must always be done by the government through the relevant agencies, or by non-governmental organizations, so that children grow into healthy, independent, and must be skilled without child labor.

Important efforts to reduce the increasing number of child laborers in the country is the education world through touch. School world through intense teacher can provide insight especially to students who come from disadvantaged families in order to always maintain the spirit to go to school. Schools should always strive to make the students do not drop out of school, especially for reasons of inability to pay school fees.

Planting awareness to parents so as not to force a child to share the economic burden of the family should be done periodically through counseling intense in pockets of poverty, this can be done by the government through social services, or by the child protection commission. Involvement of non-governmental organizations which are concerned with saving child's future should also be performed. Despite efforts to remove child labor practices at all is impossible for poverty whack job part of our society, but efforts to reduce child labor in the country must still be done with a vengeance. All children in this country must grow and develop naturally, and obtain the optimal educational services. This effort should be made by all of us, because of the problem of child labor is a problem we all.