Recently, the exploitation of child labor has been widespread. This is one of the most common problems in the modern world. Child labor is used not only in families and educational institutions, but also in large companies. A huge number of scandalous situations are associated with this violation of the law. In our article you can find detailed information about the bill.
General information about the bill
Every year, the exploitation of child labor is more and more common. Article 32-36 establishes the responsibility of the state in protecting the rights of minors from illegal forced labor. The document, which contains three parts, was adopted on September 2, 1990. The convention was finally formed a few years ago.
Article 32 exempts children from any work that may adversely affect health or become an obstacle to education. According to it, a minimum age for employment is set.
In the summer of 1999, a new Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. It featured articles on the worst forms of child labor exploitation. It focuses on the abolition of slavery, forced participation of a child in armed conflicts, prostitution and drug trafficking. Countries that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child must protect minors from exploitation.
There is illegal exploitation of child labor all over the world. provides for punishment for kidnapping a person and forcing him to work. However, there is no separate draft law that would deal with the exploitation of child labor in the Criminal Code. However, the government plans to amend it in the near future.
Many bills have been created to address the problems associated with the exploitation of child labor. contains information that a minor can voluntarily get a job if this is not an obstacle to education. In this case, written permission from the parents is also required. A minor must work in good conditions. He is also entitled to reduced working hours, benefits and vacations. However, before reaching the age of 15, it is impossible to get a job. This is prohibited by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.
Child labor at school
The exploitation of child labor in schools often goes unnoticed. Almost all educational institutions actively use it in the form of classroom duty, summer practice, etc. Is child labor in school considered illegal?
During Soviet times, child labor was encouraged in schools. It was one of the methods of patriotic education. In our time, views on child labor have changed. Numerous bills have been created to help protect the childhood of every child.
The most important condition for attracting a child to work at school is the permission of his parents. It must be in writing. If it is absent, then the child does not have the right to be forced to do any work at school. If the exploitation of child labor in an educational institution occurs regularly without permission, parents can write a complaint to the prosecutor's office or the district department of education.
In the event that permission from parents to work is present, teachers must ensure that it is carried out in compliance with all generally accepted norms. Schoolchildren are prohibited from lifting heavy objects, washing windows and cleaning near the roadway.
Implementation of bills
The law on the exploitation of child labor has been around for a long time. There are cases when school management was held accountable for releasing students from lessons for the whole day in connection with duty. For example, the prosecutor's office of the Arkhangelsk region considered and responded to a statement from the mother of a student from one of the Novodvinsk educational institutions. Her son was forced to be on duty during lessons. The prosecutor's office saw a violation of the Law "On Education" in the actions of the school principal. By his actions, the head of the institution deprives the student of receiving the full amount of knowledge. Since then, the school has been cancelled.
Statistics
The statistics on the exploitation of child labor shock almost everyone. According to research, there are about 168 million working minors in the world. This is approximately 11% of the total child population. However, it is known that their number is declining. Between 2000 and 2012, the number of child laborers decreased by 78 million.
In 2008, many experts assumed that due to the economic crisis, the exploitation of child labor would begin to gain momentum with renewed vigor. However, according to research by the International Labor Organization, the number of child laborers did not increase during that period. Experts explain this by the fact that the countries in which the problem of exploitation is most acute were hardly affected by the crisis.
Asia and the Pacific has the largest number of child laborers. There, according to statistics, 77.7 million minors work. The exploitation of child labor is also present in Africa. Every fifth child works there illegally.
Exploitation of children in Russia
The problem of child labor is often encountered on the territory of the Russian Federation. On the streets of almost all cities in Russia you can see a working child. Most often they distribute advertisements or put up advertisements. Teenagers claim that they want to become financially independent from their parents. That is why they start working from the age of 12-13, being subjected to illegal exploitation.
Every year on the territory of the Russian Federation draft laws are created that protect the interests of minors. According to them, any teenager whose age has reached the age of 16 should work in decent conditions. Otherwise, the employer will be punished by law.
In Russia and neighboring countries, parents often encourage their children to work. They believe that in this way the child becomes more independent and begins to understand how hard it is to earn money. Representatives of the International Labor Organization believe that the Russian mentality needs to be changed. Program coordinator Rimma Kalinchenko says that this problem needs to be discussed. She believes that only in this case it will be possible to change the opinion of citizens about child labor.
Large companies and child labor
This year, one of the world's human rights organizations made a report. It accused three leading companies that specialize in the development of electronic equipment, namely Samsung, Apple, Sony. They were suspected of buying minerals that are mined through the exploitation of child labor. Children as young as seven years old work in mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the report. They mine minerals that are needed to create lithium-ion batteries.
The leaders of companies buying up minerals say they do not accept the use of child labor. However, eyewitness accounts suggest otherwise. Experts say that such work is hazardous to health. These mines are known to have a high mortality rate. According to eyewitnesses, more than 80 minors died there last year alone.
According to the UN Children's Fund, at least 40,000 children mine minerals in the mines of the DRC. Global companies deny this fact. They claim that they do not purchase goods obtained in this way.
Rights of a minor worker
Not every minor who wants to get a job is aware of their rights. That is why teenagers often become easy money for unscrupulous employers. It is important that the student familiarizes himself with them in advance.
Russian legislation provides for the age at which a student can get a job. At the age of 15, with parental permission, a teenager can find a job. However, his work should not become an obstacle in obtaining educational material in full. A working student must attend all classes and do homework. In employment, orphans, teenagers from families of unemployed citizens, as well as dysfunctional or large families have priority.
It is worth noting that the employer cannot dismiss a minor worker without the permission of the labor inspectorate. Under the bill, teenagers under the age of 16 must not work more than 24 hours a week. Minors aged 16-18 may not work more than 36 hours per week.
Sexual exploitation and slavery
According to experts, every year in the world about a million children fall into the illegal sex business. Some are forced into it, and some are lured there by fraudulent means. Every year there is an increasing demand for children, as there is a misconception that such intimate relationships are less likely to lead to HIV infection. Such exploitation causes irreversible harm to the health of the child. Children are often sold into sexual slavery under the guise of servants.
Article 34 of the Convention calls on states to protect children from sexual exploitation and slavery. Article 35 indicates that governments must take appropriate measures to prevent the abduction of minors.
World Day Against Child Labor
There is a fight against the exploitation of child labor all over the world. As a result, the number of working minors has significantly decreased. June 12 is World Day against Child Labor. It was adopted in 2002 by the International Labor Organization in order to draw public attention to a problem that is present in all countries.
Summing up
The exploitation of child labor is a problem that occurs in all countries. It is most common in Africa and Asia. There is also a problem on the territory of the Russian Federation. In the near future, the government plans to amend the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, according to which violators who exploit a child will be held accountable. To date, there are already several bills that are responsible for the preservation of childhood.