[LabComm] Child labour changes

[Nancy Knickerbocker]

          For immediate release                  June 12, 2003

On World Day Against Child Labour, teachers and child advocates call on the 
government to rescind Bill 37


Teachers in B.C. are marking the second annual World Day Against Child 
Labour by calling upon the government to rescind Bill 37, which would 
significantly expand employers' ability to hire children aged 12-15 without 
any special considerations for their youth or their education.

"Teachers and child advocates are deeply concerned about the proposed 
changes in Bill 37," said BCTF President Neil Worboys. "It is the most 
regressive legislation in Canada. It is clearly designed to benefit 
employers, not children, and it eliminates what few protections previously 
existed for children aged 12-15 on the job."

As it stands now, employers who want to hire children under the age of 15 
must get permission from the director of the Employment Standards Branch, 
who can set conditions of work for the child and can compel the employer to 
respect those conditions. In the past, they also needed the approval of the 
child's school counsellor.

Under Bill 37, employers would need nothing more than a note from a parent 
or guardian to hire children between the ages of 12 and 15. The Employment 
Standards Branch would no longer regulate child employment, nor would it 
have the capacity to monitor workplaces. Employers would be self-regulating 
and the branch would operate on a "complaint-driven" basis only. There 
would be no pro-active policy to protect children.

"We are very worried about the potential impact on students' education," 
Worboys said.
"In most provinces, the law emphasizes the primacy of education and the 
employment of children during school hours is severely restricted."

In Alberta and in Ontario, for example, children under 16 are required to 
attend school and cannot be employed during normal school hours. Not in B.C.

In most provinces and territories, work outside school hours is generally 
allowed but night shifts are prohibited. Not in B.C.

"B.C. law says that children under 16 must attend school but, but Bill 37 
contains no requirements for employers to respect school hours, or even for 
them not to assign young workers to night shifts," Worboys said.

Teachers and school counsellors already see the impact on education for 
students who are juggling jobs and school. These can include: increased 
tardiness and absenteeism; fewer hours of sleep and reduced mental 
alertness; decline in academic achievement; limited participation in 
extra-curricular activities; increased stress; and even, in some instances, 
increased rates of drug and alcohol consumption. Students who work more 
than 30 hours per week are also at higher risk of dropping out.

Worboys said it's no coincidence that changes to child labour laws are 
being introduced just as the Liberal funding freeze has caused some school 
boards to cut the school week down to four days. "They're taking away 20% 
of students' class time and opening the market wide up for adolescents in 
McJobs," he said.

Teachers are also worried that reducing the age of employability will put 
many youth at risk, especially children from low-income families that are 
already under increased strain due to massive cuts to welfare and family 
services, reduced the minimum wage, and weakened union and WCB protection.

"We believe this law could have a disproportionately negative effect on 
immigrant children, children from minority groups, and poor children," said 
Worboys. "Children who feel pressure to work to help their parents feed the 
family are particularly vulnerable to exploitation on the job. And 
immigrant parents from countries that lack employment standards may not be 
aware of how to help their children assert their rights in the workplace. 
Families are really going to be on their own."

The safety of young workers is another serious concern, Worboys said. 
"Because of their lack of experience and training, young workers are at 
higher risk than others. More than 50 percent of work-related accidents in 
B.C. take place during young workers' first six months on the job."

Bill 37 was introduced in early May, but did not pass third reading in the 
rush of legislation before the end of the session. Worboys appealed to 
parents and other concerned citizens to contact Labour Minister Graham 
Bruce to express their concerns for the sake of children's education, 
health and wellbeing.

"We don't believe it's a step forward for our society to have more children 
working for a wage," he said. "There is still time to try to convince our 
government not to go ahead with this very regressive legislation. Childhood 
is a time for learning and play, not for jobs."

-30-

To send a letter to Minister Bruce, please e-mail him at 
SDL.Minister at gems8.gov.bc.ca or fax him at 250-356-6595.

For more information, contact Nancy Knickerbocker, BCTF media relations 
officer, at 604-871-1881 (office) or 604-250-6775 (cell).

****************

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great 
moral crisis, maintain their neutrality." Dante, 1265-1321

Nancy Knickerbocker
BCTF media relations officer
Office: 604-871-1881
Cell:   604-250-6775
Toll free: 1-800-663-9163