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The first general laws against child labour, the Factory Acts, were passed in Britain in the first half of the 19th century. Children younger than nine were not allowed to work and the work day of youth under the age of 18 was limited to twelve hours.[1]
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries. Child labour was utilized to varying extents through most of history, but entered public dispute with the advent of universal schooling, with changes in working conditions during the industrial revolution, and with the emergence of the concepts of workers ' and children 's rights.
In many developed countries, it is considered inappropriate or exploitative if a child below a certain age works (excluding household chores, in a family shop, or school-related work).[2] An employer is usually not permitted to hire a child below a certain minimum age. This minimum age depends on the country and the type of work involved. States ratifying the Minimum Age Convention adopted by the International Labor Organization in 1973, have adopted minimum ages varying from 14 to 16. Child labor laws in the United States set the minimum age to work in an establishment without restrictions and without parents ' consent at age 16.[3]
The incidence of child labour in the world decreased from 25 to 10 percent between 1960 and 2003, according to the World Bank.[4] Contents[hide] * 1 Historical * 2 Present day * 3 Recent child labour incidents * 3.1 Meatpacking * 3.2 Firestone * 3.3 GAP * 3.4 H&M * 3.5 India * 3.6 Primark * 4 Defence of child labour * 5 See also * 6 Notes * 7 References * 8 Further reading * 9 External links * 9.1 Child labour in diamond industry |
Historical
Child labourer, New Jersey, 1910
During the Industrial
References: A boy repairing a tire in Gambia In a recent paper, Basu and Van (1998)[19] argue that the primary cause of child labour is parental poverty