Independent Trade Union Fights For Abolition Of Child Labor

REP intends to stop forced labor of schoolchildren at collective farms.

Representatives of REP Trade Union addressed an open letter to the Minister of Education Mikhail Zhuraukou.

The initiators of the appeal, posted on an Internet resource zvarot.by, pay attention to the inadmissibility to use forced child labor. Leanid Sudalenka, one of the authors of the appeal,

notes that the vicious practice of child labor has remained since Soviet times.

– The tragedy, which happened near Maladzechna, has clearly proved that the forced labor of children is still used in our country, despite all the laws. The law of our country states that any work is forbidden for children under 14 years old. For children of 14 years old and older, the Labour Code allows for easy work with the written permission of a parent,” – the human rights activist said to Radio Racyja.

The activist of REP Trade Union Andrei Stryzhak hopes that Belarusian internet users will support the petition against the use of child labor.

– The law on appeals of citizens oblige the authorities to react to these questions. Well, and as practice shows, such advocacy actions contribute to ensuring that the decisions that the authorities make, were made taking into account our influence. After all, here we aim to abolish the practice of forced child labor in agriculture.

The issue of use of child labor in Belarus became actual after a tragic incident in Maladzechna region in September this year. During harvesting potatoes, a truck ran over a 13-year-old schoolgirl on the collective farm field belonging to the agricultural enterprise “Vostok-Agro”. The girl died on the spot of the injuries.