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Washington, DC--Today child labor
advocates reacted to a
new study by University of North Carolina researchers that
shows American teen workers to be a vulnerable group. The study,
reported in the March issue of Pediatrics, the journal of
the American Academy of Pediatrics, finds that
teens aged 14 to 18 who work at retail and service jobs
during the school year put in an average of 16 hours a week,
often at jobs that are dangerous and unsupervised. These
findings demonstrate the need for tougher enforcement of
existing child labor laws, says the Child Labor Coalition (CLC).
"The new UNC study confirms
teen workers are often in great
danger, employers often neglect to follow protective labor laws,
and there is weak enforcement of the law,"
said Darlene Adkins, Coordinator of the Washington-based CLC, a
40+ member coalition whose mission is to protect working
youth and to promote legislation, programs, and initiatives to
end child labor exploitation in the United States and abroad.
The study of 928 teen workers found
that U.S. youth who work at retail and service jobs “are exposed
to multiple hazards, use dangerous equipment despite federal
prohibitions and work long hours during the school week.” The
report also says that these teen workers “lack consistent
training and adult supervision on the job.”
The findings are consistent with
recent CLC concerns. In a report released last year, the CLC
tracked DOL's declining enforcement and dismal penalty
assessments against employers found in violation of child labor
laws. Findings from the CLC report,
Protecting Working Children in the United States: The
Government’s Striking Decline in Child Labor Enforcement
Activities, show a decade of persistent decline in child
labor enforcement and penalties, with a marked decrease between
fiscal years 2004 and 2005:
- A
31.5 percent decline in the number of child labor
investigations by DOL in comparing fiscal years 2004 and
2005. The 1,784 child labor investigations in fiscal year
2005 represent the lowest number of investigations in the
last decade.
- A
20.2 percent decline in time DOL spends conducting child
labor investigations in comparing fiscal years 2004 and
2005. In person hours, the 2005 figure represents the
equivalent of 23 full time employees.
-
Only 9.2 percent of the maximum penalty allowed was assessed
against employers who violated child labor laws in fiscal
year 2005. During that time period, the average civil money
penalty assessed by DOL per violation was $1,011 – while the
maximum penalty allowed under law is $11,000 per violation.
The CLC cites as an example of “going easy” on employers who are
found in violation of child labor laws a settlement with
Wal-Mart. In a 2005 settlement between DOL and Wal-Mart Stores,
Inc., $135,540 in civil money penalties were imposed for child
labor violations affecting 85 youths in 24 Wal-Mart stores. Some
of the children were operating cardboard balers, fork lifts, and
chain saws, all of which are considered “particularly hazardous”
jobs, which Wal-Mart and other employers cannot permit anyone
under age 18 to perform.
The average penalty for the 85
violations was only $1,594.59, just slightly less than 15
percent of the maximum penalty allowed under US law of $11,000
per child labor violation. Wal-Mart has $285 billion in sales
annually. A $135,540 penalty for a company this size has the
same financial impact as a 40-cent penalty for a million-dollar
company.
“These findings are alarming,” said Adkins. “When you have
little enforcement and paltry penalties for violations, it can
only send a message that protecting working children just isn’t
a priority. Meanwhile, every year, 230,000 children are injured
in the workplace and between 60-70 die.”
For more
information about the Child Labor Coalition’s fight against
abusive teen labor and other related issues,
visit www.stopchildlabor.org. |
