Monitoring Desk
WASHINGTON: The Biden administration has announced measures to crack down on child labour amid a massive rise in violations and investigative reports by the news outlets on unlawful employment of migrant minors in dangerous United States (US) industries.
The US officials said that the Labour Department had seen a nearly 70 percent rise in child labour violations since the year 2018, including in hazardous occupations. In the previous fiscal year, 835 companies were found to have violated child labour laws.
US officials’ stance
The US officials told reporters on a conference call that the US administration was probing the employment of children at industries, including Hearthside Food Solutions and suppliers to Hyundai Motor Co. It has created the interagency task force on child labour and plans to target industries and companies where violations are likely to occur for investigations.
The Democratic administration of President Joe Biden is pushing for heavier penalties for industries that violate these laws and funding for enforcement and oversight, they said. United States federal law prohibits people under the age of 16 from working in factory settings, and those under 18 are barred from dangerous jobs in industrial plants.
