Tag Archive for: Child Labor Laws

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New Law in Chile Targets Street Beggars


WRITTEN BY STEVE SHEA [The Santiago Times, Monday, Nov. 7, 2011]

Parents who exploit children could face up to three years in jail.

Sen. Carlos Bianchi recently proposed a new law that would seek to discourage adults from using children to beg for money on the street. The law would carry a prison term of between 541 days and three years.

Photo by fanz/Flickr.

“Begging can be considered the worst form of child labor,” Angélica Marín, the head of the Department of Protection of Rights told La Tercera. “Children forced into begging can have poor psychological, physical and moral development.”

She went onto say that this is a practice ingrained in Chilean culture and, “it requires the rehabilitation of adults who, perhaps for generations, have used their children to ask for money.”

This latest legislation will target those adults who use children to beg, both directly and indirectly, meaning directly if the child is begging and indirectly if the parent is begging with a child present. Both instances would be subject to the same jail time.

The Ministry of Social Development released a report in early October that counted 785 children in Santiago who could be considered to be living in extreme poverty.

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Omaha Company Loses Appeal of Federal Penalty

Omaha Company Loses Appeal of Federal PenaltyOMAHA, Neb.An Omaha food-processing company has lost its appeal of a $100,000 penalty for violating federal child labor laws.

Reporter: Associated Press

An Omaha food-processing company has lost its appeal of a $100,000 penalty for violating federal child labor laws.

A news release Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Labor says the department had cited Progressive Protein LLC after a 17-year-old worker died on a forklift accident in 2009. The department says the company had allowed Miguel Herrera-Soltero to operate the forklift, violating federal law.

The department said Progressive Protein knew the boy was in high school and should have checked his age.

The company appealed the civil penalty. Administrative Law Judge Stephen Purcell rejected the appeal.

Speaking for the company Wednesday, Bill Rhein said there would be no comment on the judge’s action.

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Bill eases Child Labor Restrictions in Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine—A bill to ease Maine’s child labor restrictions faces further House and Senate action after winning preliminary House approval.

Assistant Senate Republican Leader Debra Plowman’s bill would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work longer hours and more often while school is in session.

Those teen-agers would be allowed to work as many as 24 hours rather than the 20 per week under current law. The bill would also increase from four to six the number of hours students can work on school days. The Sun Journal of Lewiston says the bill won preliminary House approval Wednesday.

A separate bill that sought to allow lower minimum wages for youths and remove limits on their school-week work hours has been killed.

Information from: Sun-Journal, https://www.sunjournal.com

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Pennsylvania Official Calls for Updated, Comprehensive Child Labor Laws

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A comprehensive overhaul of Pennsylvania’s Child Labor Law is needed to ensure safer working conditions for young people, Labor & Industry Executive Deputy Secretary Robert V. O’Brien testified today before the House of Representatives’ Labor Relations Committee.

The House panel discussed two pieces of legislation: House Bill 19, sponsored by Rep. Jaret Gibbons; and House Bill 2515, sponsored by Rep. Thomas P. Murt.

“The enforcement of child labor standards is an important department function,” O’Brien said. “The current law – which dates back to 1915 – is antiquated, confusing and has not evolved along with Pennsylvania’s occupational diversity. Updates are needed because the department’s ability to regulate the employment of minors has been constrained by deficiencies with the current law.

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