TUC warning on working children

The Trades Union Congress has criticised local authorities for
failing to protect school children from unscrupulous employers and
has called for more spot checks in workplaces.

According to a TUC survey of 2,500 schoolchildren, 30 per cent
of children with term-time jobs said they did more than two hours a
day. One in 10 reported working more than five hours a day.

Under the European Young Workers Directive introduced last year
– which councils are responsible for enforcing – children under 16
should not work more than two hours on a school day or 12 hours in
any school week.

During school holidays, children under 15 cannot work more than
25 hours a week and 15-year-olds have a limit of 35 hours.

TUC general secretary John Monks said: “It’s fine for kids to
earn a bit of extra pocket money with a paper round or Saturday
job. But it becomes a real problem if they are missing school and
finding they can’t keep up with school or homework.”