XN000022-1976-12-23 — Page 6

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1976

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ANTI-CHILD LABOUR DRIVE

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LABOUR INSPECTORS VISITED MORE THAN 8,000 INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS DURING A THREE-DAY ANTI-CHILD LABOUR CAMPAIGN LAST MONTH AND FOUND ONLY 34 UNDER-AGED CHILDREN WORKING.

THE CHILDREN ALL UNDER THE AGE OF 14, THE MINIMUM LEGAL AGE PERMITTED TO WORK IN FACTORIES, WERE FOUND IN 31 FACTORIES.

THIS REPRESENTED ONLY 0.04 PER CENT OF THE 81,584 PEOPLE FOUND AT WORK DURING THE INSPECTORS' VISITS WHICH TOOK PLACE FROM NOVEMBER 2 TO 4.

IN, ACCORDANCE WITH LABOUR DEPARTMENT POLICY, THE PROPRIETORS INVOLVED WILL BE PROSECUTED.

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DURING THE THREE-DAY DRIVE THE THIRD OF A SERIES CARRIED OUT THIS YEAR A TOTAL OF 8,136 OUT OF 37,118 UNDERTAKINGS RECORDED WITH THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS UNIT WAS INSPECTED.

EXCEPT FOR 88 CONCERNS WHICH HAD EMPLOYED CHILDREN BEFORE, THESE ESTABLISHMENTS WERE SELECTED AT RANDOM FOR INSPECTION.

HOWEVER, ONLY SEVEN OF THE 88 CONCERNS WERE FOUND TO HAVE EMPLOYED CHILDREN AGAIN.

A LABOUR DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID IN GENERAL, THE PICTURE OF CHILD EMPLOYMENT AS REVEALED BY THE RESULTS OF THIS CAMPAIGN WAS THAT MOST OF THE CHILDREN FOUND WORKING WERE AGED AROUND 13.

+THERE WERE SLIGHTLY MORE GIRLS THAN BOYS AND MOST OF THE CHILDREN WERE EMPLOYED IN INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS LOCATED IN INDUSTRIAL OR FACTORY BUILDINGS WITH AN EMPLOYMENT SIZE NORMALLY RANGING FROM FIVE TO 49,+ HE SAID.

+THE MAJORITY OF THE CHILDREN CLAIMED TO HAVE LESS THAN THREE MONTHS SERVICE, USUALLY WORK ING EIGHT HOURS A DAY AND EARNING A DAILY WAGE OF BETWEEN $14 AND $20.

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+ IN A NUMBER OF CASES, THE EMPLOYERS ADMITTED THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE SHORT OF LABOUR AND WORK WAS PRESSING THEY DID NOT CAREFULLY VERIFY THE AGE OF EACH AND EVERY WORKER WHO APPLIED FOR EMPLOYMENT, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

+FURTHER CAMPAIGNS OF THIS KIND WILL BE MOUNTED NEXT YEAR,+

HE SAID.

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