NEW DELHI: A fact-finding report on child labour in the automobile industry, put out in the public domain by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), highlights that children were seen toiling hard in motor garages spare parts shops for wages as low as Rs 2,500 a month after a daily 12-hour-grind.
The report details the findings after a video survey to capture evidence of children at work in garages and spare parts shops in cities like Guwahati, Indore, Meerut, Chennai and Patna.
As per the March 31, 2017 notification of the ministry of labour and employment, children are prohibited to work or help families in automobile workshops and garages or in automobile repair and maintenance including processes like welding, lathe work, dent-beating and painting.
The report and video uploaded on the NCPCR website says that “it is evident that garage owners are directly responsible for these illegal acts. But the blame lies as much with the automobile manufacturers. If children are labouring inside these garages and motor workshops, toiling under their advertising boards and banners, they will have to take the onus to curb it”.
The Commission has also taken note of complaints regarding children working in activities like repair shops, sale of spare parts in the grey market, fitting, dismantling, scrapping and extracting spare parts.
“The state of affairs in cities such as Guwahati, Patna, Indore, Meerut, and Chennai are absolutely shocking,” the report says.
According to global car sales data, India ranks among the five biggest automobile markets in the world. The National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) shows that 7.5% people own cars and around 50% have a bike. The mammoth size of the automobile market has given rise to an equally big sector of allied businesses such as repairing, maintenance and spare parts.
The report details the findings after a video survey to capture evidence of children at work in garages and spare parts shops in cities like Guwahati, Indore, Meerut, Chennai and Patna.
As per the March 31, 2017 notification of the ministry of labour and employment, children are prohibited to work or help families in automobile workshops and garages or in automobile repair and maintenance including processes like welding, lathe work, dent-beating and painting.
The report and video uploaded on the NCPCR website says that “it is evident that garage owners are directly responsible for these illegal acts. But the blame lies as much with the automobile manufacturers. If children are labouring inside these garages and motor workshops, toiling under their advertising boards and banners, they will have to take the onus to curb it”.
The Commission has also taken note of complaints regarding children working in activities like repair shops, sale of spare parts in the grey market, fitting, dismantling, scrapping and extracting spare parts.
“The state of affairs in cities such as Guwahati, Patna, Indore, Meerut, and Chennai are absolutely shocking,” the report says.
According to global car sales data, India ranks among the five biggest automobile markets in the world. The National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) shows that 7.5% people own cars and around 50% have a bike. The mammoth size of the automobile market has given rise to an equally big sector of allied businesses such as repairing, maintenance and spare parts.