More from another list. It seems the kids aren't
safe from the neo-cons either. By way of explanation, with the demise of
the Tories in Ontario, the government of British Columbia is probably the most
pro-business among Canadian provinces. It would privatize your grandmother
if there was a way of doing it.
Ed
>
> The B.C. child labour law
> by Mark Thompson
>
> The government recently introduced amendments to the Employment
> Standards Act that effectively lower the minimum age for employment
> from 15 to 12 years.
>
> The act currently forbids employment of children under the age of 15
> without the permission of the director of the Employment Standards
> Branch. The director sets the conditions of employment for each child,
> including the consent of the child's parent and school if work is
> during the school year, hours of work, and other conditions of
> employment. Special and very protective regulations exist for child
> performers in the film and television industries. A handful of
> individual employers also have closely controlled permits to hire
> children. In 2001, approximately 400 child-labour permits were issued,
> about 50 for work at the Pacific National Exhibition.
>
> The government proposes to permit any child between 12 and 15 years of
> age to work with the consent of his or her parent. The director may
> establish conditions for employment of children for industries or
> classes of industries, thereby removing the individual attention to
> the child. The Employment Standards Act is enforced through a
> complaint, followed by an investigation. The number of staff to
> receive and investigate complaints is being reduced by 40%, further
> undermining the protection of children.
>
> The amendments will allow employers to employ children under 15 years
> of age with only limited supervision. The government has presented no
> rationale to justify its regressive policy, other than "cutting red
> tape."
>
> The proposed changes dishonour Canada. Since the 1990s, this country
> has been an international leader in efforts to ban child labour in
> less-developed regions of the world. Only last year, the United
> Nations dedicated a special session to children, highlighting the
> dangers of child labour. Non-governmental organizations are urging
> Canadian companies to refuse to purchase goods made by children
> overseas. Should they impose boycotts on British Columbia products
> made by children?
>
> Any parent or teacher knows that children are vulnerable when they
> enter the labour market. They seldom know their legal rights, and they
> have few skills to command a high wage. They face special hazards.
> Children do not have the attention span adults do, and they risk
> accident or injury at work sites designed for adults. The lure of
> income may cause them to neglect their education. When children under
> 15 are employed, they compete with older teenagers or young adults who
> are attempting to gain job skills and extra income. This added pool of
> inexperienced workers especially hurts older teenagers when all
> workers receive a sub-minimum wage for their first 500 hours of
> employment. Parents care for the well being of their children, but
> they should not be expected to verify the working conditions of
> 12-year-olds.
>
> The social development and education of children should be of
> paramount concern to society in British Columbia. The United Nations
> Convention on the Rights of Children, ratified by Canada and virtually
> every country in the world, establishes this principle. The present
> Employment Standard policy enables the director to tailor working
> conditions to the need of the child in those very limited cases when
> work is necessary or appropriate. Parents should be involved in
> decisions about the work of their children, but society should put the
> needs of the children first.
>
> The present standards of protection for children should be maintained.
> British Columbia should not be a society where elementary school
> pupils are encouraged to choose between a low-wage job and their
> education.
>
> Mark Thompson, UBC professor, served as commissioner of the 1994
> report "Rights and Responsibilities in a Changing Workplace: A Review
> of Employment Standards in British Columbia."
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> Visit the Workfare Watch Project Website at:
> http://www.welfarewatch.toronto.on.ca/
> -
