USA - America is divided over major efforts to rewrite child labor laws : Lauren Kaori Gurley / Washington Post

Article shared by Tom McDermott

'Blue' and 'Red' states in the US are separated these days on many issues.  Child labor (better described as teen labor) is just one such issue.  The age at which companies should be permitted to hire young workers is suddenly a hot issue after many years of lying dormant.  The reasons include the fact that many industries find it difficult to recruit adult workers, especially for hard and dirty jobs.  Parents of many teens also press for relaxed rules, arguing that their children need money and work experience.  A major factor seems to be the large numbers of immigrant teenagers, many of whom desperately need money to support themselves and their families in home countries.  With these and other factors at play many state legislatures have already moved to relax both the rules on age and hours teens can do, as well as the range of jobs teens can do - meaning that increasingly young workers are handling dangerous equipment or dealing with harmful chemicals and materials.  Federal law offers only limited protection for young workers, prohibiting their employment in dangerous conditions, but monitoring and enforcement are weak.  

One wonders where is the 'push back' by child advocates or labor unions.  Unfortunately, there has so far been little.  Is this not an issue on which UNICEF USA might use its voice?  

Tom

Click here for the article in the Washington Post

See also: 'Dumb and Dangerous' US sees surge in efforts to weaken child labor rules in the Guardian

               Child labor laws under attack by the Economic Policy Institute