Child Labor Laws

[melvill]

The province is considering making amendments to the labor laws to allow young people as young as 12 to work in certain establishments. Minister Cardinal was quoted in today's Edmonton Journal saying that there are families that can use the income generated by every able bodied family member. He went on to say that his family of himself and 12 siblings would not have survived had he not been able to earn wages at a young age.

I am interested in hearing how the rest of you feel on this topic.

[daretodiffer]

"The province is considering making amendments to the labor laws to allow young people as young as 12 to work in certain establishments"

Seems that you haven't gotten very much of the story on this issue. Cardinal's comments are only the latest after the issue's been in the news a few times over the last week or so.

He is not "considering" anything, he has already made the decision to stop requiring approval for the employment of 12-14 year olds in food service jobs as is the case in the current regulations. According to his department staffers, it has been a matter of rubber stamping of the requests for some time and no one is rejected so why bother with the process.

It shouldn't matter much anyway as lots of 12-14 year olds do farm work, handle chemicals, drugs and drive big machinery on roads, are not working under any health and safety rules, and no one is bothered by that.

[daretodiffer]

I think the employment of 12-14 year olds is not a problem depending on the type of work, scope of supervision and working hours. Having a part time job and learning to be responsible has never hurt anyone. It is unfortunate if there are families that will have to rely on the earnings of a 12 year old to make ends meet though.

[cakadu]

Didn't we abolish children having to work in order to help out families? I'm with you emrald, there is nothing wrong with kids learning responsibility and the value of a dollar earned. What I do wonder about is if children have to go to work to help make ends meet, then when will they have time just to be kids?

Doesn't it seem like there is something inherently wrong with the system when there is enough money to spend on certain things, yet not enough to help those at or below the poverty line?

There are already employers that are saying that once the minimum wage goes up to a whopping $7/hr, that it will have a significant impact on how many employees they will be able to keep gainfully employed. At 40 hours per week, that is $1120 gross/month. With the way costs on just about everything are skyrocketing, how can anyone expect to live on that, let alone support a family?

In a province that has so much and continually trumpeting it's horn regarding same, isn't it a bit obscene to be suggesting that children can work to help supplement family income?

[cakadu]

I agree Linda. I think its good for young people to learn how to be responsible, and reliable, but having a part time job and learning how to hang on to a dollar is one thing, having to fork over their paycheck to help support siblings isn't fair in my opinion.
I think that kids should have time to be kids, but perhaps having part time jobs will chanel their energies to productive pursuits vs some of the other activities that young people can become involved in.

I have to wonder why there are families that need to have the earnings of 12 year olds to survive.

[cakadu]

Just noticed that Minister Cardinal is really being lambasted in letters to the Editor in today's Edmonton Journal regarding his comments about 12 year olds working.

I think he meant well, but perhaps his comments were taken out of context. I basically sounded as though he agrees with younger folks working and then related to his own experience with regard to working to help out his family.

[cowman]

Well I always believed a kid should have a chance to be a kid, but then my old man had me out on a tractor by the time I was six raking hay...and it wasn't the easiest tractor to drive! An old Oliver 77!
Still some people have a tough old row to hoe and lots of kids are responsible enough at a fairly young age to go to work?
This summer I have two "kids" working for me...18 and 19! Both good kids, one a boy and one a girl. They are both enrolled in there second year of environmental science at the ag college.
They both work hard and seem to have a lot of common sense...I don't have to babysit them. I'm paying them $18/hr. and they both have a pesticide applicator license.

[cowman]

I guess my main concern would be with kids having to work to help out is if the reason it's necessary is because of lifestyle choices made by parents, eg: spending money necessary for maintaining their family on booze and drugs !
In those cases it is certainly unfortunate of the young people feel it necessary to pitch in and help their family survive.