Massachusetts limits child labor days to 10 hours; Other states will soon pass similar laws – but most of these laws are not being enforced consistently. The Walsh-Healey Act states that the U.S. government will not buy goods made by underage children. The first convention listed is the Minimum Age Convention, 1973. This Convention stipulates that a person under the age of 18 may not work in an institution likely to endanger his safety, health or morals. This work includes mining, heavy equipment operations and heavy manual labour. Minors between the ages of 13 and 15 may perform light work as long as the work does not interfere with their education or interfere with their education. Children under the age of 13 are not allowed to work. [10] The Worst Forms of Child Labour Conventions stipulate that persons under the age of 18 may not be used as slaves, prostitution, pornography, or drug trafficking. [11] Medical examination agreements stipulate that persons under the age of 18 may not occupy an industrialized or non-industrialized position without being deemed fit by health professionals. Persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to work underground, for example in a mine. Persons between the ages of 18 and 21 must be supervised when working in an underground environment. [12] [13] Finally, persons over the age of 14 but under the age of 18 must have at least 12 hours off, 14 if they are currently employed at school, and these hours must include hours from 10 p.m.
to 6 a.m. [14] These Conventions and Recommendations aim to provide children with a safe working environment and to promote their education. Since its foundation in 1919, 186 countries have become members of the ILO. As members of the ILO, countries commit to respect the minimum conventions of the ILO Constitution. The consequences are shocking. Child labour can cause extreme physical and mental harm and even death. It can lead to slavery and sexual or economic exploitation. And in almost all cases, it cuts children off from school and health care, restricts their basic rights and threatens their future. International conventions create a global legal framework to protect children from child labour. The CRC is a human rights treaty that comprehensively defines the rights of the child. According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is defined as any person under the age of 18, unless otherwise provided by national legislation. In particular, the United States and Somalia are the only two countries that have not yet ratified the CRC.
As the United States industrialized, factory owners hired young workers for various tasks. Children as young as three have sometimes been found spinning berries. [5] Some children preferred work at school because earning a salary earned them respect at home, they were punished with corporal punishment at school, and did not like to read or write instead of working. [11] In 1916, under pressure from the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) and the National Consumers League, the United States Congress passed the Keating-Owen Act, which prohibits interstate trade in goods made by employees under the age of 14, 15, or 16, depending on the type of work. Southern Democrats were against it, but did not obstruct the law. President Woodrow Wilson ignored the issue, but approved the bill at the last minute under pressure from party leaders, who stressed how popular the idea was, especially among the rising class of female voters. He told Democratic members of Congress that they would have to pass this bill as well as a workers` compensation bill to satisfy the national progressive movement and win the 1916 election against a reunified GOP. Child labor has officially become a federal issue and is the first federal law on child labor. [6] However, the U.S. Supreme Court passed the law in Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918) because it regulated trade that did not cross state borders. Congress used its fiscal power by passing a 10% tax on companies that used child labor, but this was overturned by the Supreme Court in Bailey v.
Drexel Furniture (1923). [6] Child labour finally ended in the 1930s. [14] Since its inception, the International Labour Organization currently has 23 conventions or laws in its constitution governing adult and child labour. These laws include minimum age limitation, protection against forced labour, time allotted for leave/vacation, working conditions, safety standards, protection of pregnant women and night working conditions. Under these conditions, stricter standards for the safety of children are established. Most of the Conventions and Recommendations on child labour fall under Article 3, Elimination of Child Labour and Protection of Children and Young People. In Nepal, the Constitution enshrines the principles of equality and justice for every citizen without discrimination on the basis of race, caste, sex, religion, etc. and protects the human rights of all citizens. It describes the rights of the child and prohibits child labour and all forms of labour exploitation.