- Many families living in poverty need all members of the family to contribute.Magasin traditionnel ferm?? au Fran?¡ìois image by JYF from Fotolia.com
The International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency, reports that while child labor has decreased in Latin America in recent years, there are still approximately 5.7 million children working who are under the minimum age for employment. Most of these children work in agriculture or the informal sector, which functions outside of government control, making violations likely. However, several countries in Latin America have child labor laws in place as well as severe sentences for violators. - Fifteen is the minimum age for employment in Costa Rica.Costa Rica Countryside image by oddzen89 from Fotolia.com
The Costa Rican Labor Code states 15 as the minimum age for employment. Children under 18 are prohibited completely in the banana industry, however. The Childhood and Adolescents' Code restricts children under 18 from working in mines, bars, and any place where alcohol is sold or is considered an unhealthy environment. Children under 18 are prohibited from taking part in activities where they are responsible for their own safety or the safety of other minors. They are prohibited from working with dangerous machines, toxic substances, or in extremely noisy environments. The Children's Bill of Rights also offers children protection from sexual exploitation (e.g. pornography and prostitution). - Very poor Guatemalan families can get permission for children under 14 to work.beadwork bracelets from guatemala image by monamakela.com from Fotolia.com
The Guatemalan Labor Code sets 14 as the minimum age for employment; however, under certain circumstances, the Labor Inspection Agency can give work permits to children under 14 if the family is extremely poor and certain rules are followed (e.g. only light work is performed and the work is apprentice-related). Children are prohibited from working at night, overtime, and in places deemed unsafe. Under the Penal Code's Article 188, child pornography and prostitution is prohibited. - Children are prohibited from working in unsafe places in Nicaragua.cobble image by charles taylor from Fotolia.com
Nicaragua's minimum employment age is 14. The government amended certain articles in 2003 that raised fines for violators of this law and permitted the closure of companies that employed children. Children under 17 cannot work more than 6 hours/day (or 30 hours/week). Children 16 and under must have a parent's permission to work. The Child and Adolescent Code does not allow adolescents to work in unsafe places (e.g. garbage areas, mines, bars, in places where there are toxic objects) or at night. - The Labor Code in Honduras allows children 16 and older to be employed. However, children who are 14 or 15 can work with the permission of the Ministry of Labor (as well as parental permission). Children under 16 may not work in bars, clubs, at night, in theaters, circuses, or any place that serves alcohol. Children under 14 may not work at all, not even with parental permission. There are prison sentences of 3 to 5 years for people who employ or allow children to work illegally. Child prostitution and pornography carry a sentence of 5 to 8 years.
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