The US government wants to take tougher action against child labour

The US government wants to crack down on an “alarming” increase in child labor in the country. “This is not a problem of the 19th century – this is a problem of today,” US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said Monday (local time). According to the data, the number of illegally employed minors in the United States has increased by two-thirds since 2018.

In the past fiscal year, the Department of Labor identified 835 companies that employed 3,800 minors and violated the law. In addition, it found a 26 percent increase in underage workers who were “hired specifically for hazardous work.” These are “alarming trends,” a senior official told reporters.

To curb the increase, a joint working group of the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services – which is also responsible for unaccompanied minors arriving in the United States – will try to improve information sharing between the two agencies. improve. At the same time, the Ministry of Labor wants to focus on better enforcement of existing laws.

In addition, companies must be held liable if child labor is found at contractors and employment agencies. All too often, companies look the other way and blame recruiting firms, subcontractors or suppliers, Labor Secretary Walsh said.

Under current law, the maximum fine for child labor violations in the United States is $15,138. According to the Department of Labor, this is “not high enough to deter large, profitable companies”.

In the US, children are allowed to work from the age of 14. However, until the age of 16, they are only allowed to work a limited number of hours, so that they can continue to attend school.

The “New York Times” reported this weekend about an increasing number of child migrants in the United States, some of whom, by the age of 12, are working in car factories, construction sites or delivery services. (AFP)

Source: Blick