This morning I was rudely shocked to read that in some states of the US , (which continues to be the lead donor to UNICEF and the ILO), legislators are moving backwards and not protecting children from working outside their homes in factories and agriculture. .. while the US has ratified ILO182 (Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour) it has NOT ratified ILO138 (Minimum Convention) and given its Federal structure, States can set their standards. Read how Arkansas legislators are attempting to lower the age from 16, the state and federal regulation.
At the risk of being called naive, can one infer that this issue is outside the 'jurisdiction' of UNICEF's Executive Director and she does not have a role in her own country to advocate for child rights and influence her fellow American legislators. What about the advocacy role of the US Committee? "Sree Gururaja
Several states in the US, including Arkansas, are moving to relax labor laws for children, making it easier for companies to employ minors under the age of 16 without obtaining state work permits. The move comes after the US Department of Labor uncovered over 100 minors working in hazardous conditions in a company that cleans meatpacking equipment at factories around the country.
Legislatures in at least nine US states are considering loosening child labor laws. These states include Arkansas, Iowa, Ohio, Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Utah.
The Dangerous Race to Put More Children to Work
Editor's Note: Here is a quick summary of the article by the Editorial Board of the NY Times:
Legislatures in at least nine US states are considering loosening child labor laws. These states include Arkansas, Iowa, Ohio, Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Utah.
The bills in question would allow children to work longer hours, remove restrictions on hazardous occupations, allow them to work in locations serving alcohol, and lower the state minimum wage for minors. The rollback is likely to have the greatest impact on a labor force that includes unaccompanied migrant children who work long hours for big-name companies. Despite the evidence that more children are being exploited and hurt, state lawmakers are passing bills that defy federal standards, inviting a court challenge, and daring the Labor Department to come after them.
The cartoon below parodies the push by conservative Republicans to put children to work in various professions, including meatpacking plants.
Agree, Sree. This is sadly the reality in States governed by majority Republicans. Money/profit over Rights…..whichever! This is only one of so many issues that directly affect children…..including the banning and/or removal of books from school and public libraries which may have content that disparages the country (e.g. in Florida, a biography of Jack E Robinson, first Black baseball player was banned, as it has discussion of his experience with racism, etc. They say due to pressure, this has been restored…..I doubt it though). And an old issue but still affects kids: the military supporting junior military training (JROTC—Junior Officer Military Training) from middle school through high school…..say kids 12-17. This is also against the CRC. I wont go into the erosion of womens rights which affect children and our crazy gun laws which in many places do not require any training. So many issues and although I would guess a majority of people are against these issues, the State Legislatures in too many places ignor the will of the people.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't people get that the US is exceptional?
ReplyDeleteWell said,Sree. We all should be shocked and saddened to see some state legislatures attempt to roll back child labour laws. So far, only Arkansas has signed such measures into law, but at least six other state legislatures may follow. So the real question is not, "Should UNICEF be silent..." but "Why are UNICEF and UNICEF USA silent?". For that matter, where is ILO's voice? Child labour should be an issue not just for child advocates, but also for labour unions who have long argued that child labour only replaces adult jobs and weakens their wages. For a wider picture of Republican efforts to undermine child labour laws, see Economic Policy Institute's article Child Labor Laws Under Attack
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