In the context of misunderstandings about child labor, leading to violations of legal regulations, this month of action will focus on communication to raise awareness, in order to promptly overcome limitations and shortcomings.
One of the messages to prevent and reduce child labor from the International Labor Organization and the Ministry of Health in response to World Day against Child Labor (June 12).
Do not let children do heavy, toxic, or dangerous work.
Affirming that “The law strictly prohibits the exploitation of child labor”, experts from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Department of Mothers and Children (Ministry of Health ) emphasized that in Vietnam, “child labor” is understood as children and minors doing work that is against labor laws, hindering or negatively affecting the physical, intellectual and personality development of children.
Commenting on the situation of child labor, Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Office in Vietnam Ingrid Christensen assessed that the practice of working in the field of children in recent years shows that there is still a widespread misunderstanding about child labor: Employers believe that they can hire children under 15 years old to do any job; children from 15 to under 18 years old can work more than 8 hours per day or more than 40 hours per week, as long as they are paid wages or salaries for overtime...
Emphasizing that these are all misunderstandings, leading to violations of labor laws, ILO experts and the Department of Mothers and Children have presented many specific situations to analyze child labor. For example, a girl who just turned 14 years old, living with her grandparents, wanted to earn money to help her family cover daily expenses, so she went to work cleaning rooms at a motel. In order to be able to both study and work, she chose the afternoon time slot, from 13:00 to 16:00.
Determining that “this is a case of child labor”, experts analyzed that although this girl only worked 3 hours/day and 18 hours/week (not exceeding the prescribed number of hours), the working location was at a motel, a workplace with a risk of sexual abuse, affecting her health, morality, and dignity (contrary to the provisions of Point d, Clause 2, Article 147 of the 2019 Labor Code).
Deputy Director of the Department of Mothers and Children (Ministry of Health) Nguyen Thi Nga noted that children under 13 years old can help their parents with light housework after school, or work as dancers, singers, circus performers, film performers, puppeteers (except for underwater puppetry), talented athletes in sports ... Children from 13 to under 15 years old can do some traditional jobs, handicrafts from natural materials, or silkworm farming, wrapping cakes, candies... However, these cases must especially comply with regulations on heavy, toxic, and dangerous jobs according to the law.
Strengthen communication, raise awareness
In response to World Day against Child Labor 2025 (June 12), the Department of Mothers and Children has just sent an official dispatch to the health departments of provinces and centrally run cities, requesting to strengthen communication to prevent and reduce child labor with the expectation: "Each article, each image is a step to push back child labor".
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga hopes that through communication activities, children and their families will be aware of the immediate and long-term harms and consequences of child labor. Children themselves also need to proactively learn about children's rights, child labor and practice life skills to prevent themselves from being abused and exploited...
Speaking to reporters of Hanoi Moi Newspaper, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Health Dinh Hong Phong said that during the Action Month for Children, the Department has directed the Social Work Center and the Hanoi Children's Support Fund to coordinate with relevant units to strengthen communication, training, improve knowledge and practice skills to recognize cases of child labor, or at risk of becoming child labor; recommend children to talk to teachers and parents, adults when they know that a friend is being abused or exploited. Thereby, the authorities can intervene, carry out child protection work, and handle cases of law violations in the use of child labor.
Director of the Hanoi Center for Social Work and Children's Support Fund Nguyen Quoc Trieu added that the center always effectively receives, consults, and implements solutions to support children through the hotline for emergency support services (24/7): 0243.2233.111; at the same time, closely coordinates with the National Child Protection Hotline 111 in protecting children who are exploited for labor or abused in any form. In the coming time, the center will closely coordinate with related forces to prevent the situation of protectionists taking advantage of children, forcing children to wander around and beg for money...
Acknowledging Hanoi's participation, Deputy Director of the Department of Mothers and Children Nguyen Thi Nga expressed her hope that provinces and cities will strengthen communication and spread the message "Preventing child labor for a safe and healthy generation", making efforts to end child labor, contributing to the successful implementation of the Program on preventing and reducing illegal child labor in the period of 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/giam-thieu-viec-su-dung-lao-dong-tre-em-705186.html
Comment (0)