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Article

1 Aug 2016

Author:
Sanjoy Majumder, BBC [India]

Why some factory owners are celebrating India's child labour bill

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Under a new, controversial child labour law that has just been passed by the Indian parliament, children younger than 14 are barred from working...But a provision says they may work after school hours and on holidays in the sports or entertainment industry or in family enterprises...It's really good news...saysRajinder, one factory owner...Earlier I could only hire someone aged above 18. Now I can employ more people. And children cost less. I pay my workers 300 rupees ($4.50; £3.50) a day. But I pay an underage employee only 100 rupees ($1.50) a day. It's a big saving. He is also not very concerned about the provision that such work can only take place within the family. How long does it take to acquire a family? he asks...It's not a big problem...This is exactly what child rights' activists and critics of the new law fear - that it will be exploited and used to drive even more children out of school and into work.

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