ListenAUSTRALIA
Report shows lack of South Australia child work laws
Children as young as 13 are being forced to work late at night or in unsafe conditions in South Australia because of a lack of child labour laws.
The Young Workers Legal Service, part of SA Unions, has released its annual report which details issues facing young workers.
It says it took more than 400 calls or emails from young workers in 2011-12.
In one case a 13-year-old boy employed in the fast food industry would sometimes work as late as 1am on school nights.
Another involved a 13-year-old girl who worked at a bakery and was sexually harassed and bullied.
SA Unions state secretary Janet Giles said the cases highlighted SA's lack of child labour protection which meant there was no minimum age at which a child could legally begin work.
"That means there are no protections for children who are exposed to unsafe work, humiliated, harassed, degraded or ripped off – all forms of child abuse," Ms Giles said on Tuesday.
"We wouldn't put up with these things happening to a child in their own home or at school – they shouldn't be exposed to such abuse in their workplace either."
Ms Giles said unions wanted 14 mandated as the minimum working age and also wanted those under 18 to be stopped from working in high-risk jobs, including some construction work, or where there were obvious hazards, such as asbestos removal.
She said unions would back some exemptions for family businesses, work on the family farm or other jobs approved by the state industrial commission.
They also wanted employers with a history of abusing young workers to be restricted or banned from employing young people.
"These children are not low-cost, disposable labour and should never be treated that way," she said.
The South Australian government said it intended to introduce child employment legislation to state parliament in 2013 and Greens upper house MP Tammy Franks has already supported the move.
"It's a disgrace that the South Australian Parliament hasn't seen fit to ensure that young children are protected by appropriate industrial relations provisions as they are in every other state of Australia," Ms Franks said.
"The Greens believe children who are working require and deserve extra protections."
News item
11 December 3012
