June 1, 2019 in our school started the action "12 days of struggle against the exploitation of child labor"

June 1, 2019 in our school started the action "12 days of struggle against the exploitation of child labor." Its goal is to highlight the problem of child labor, to raise public awareness about the exploitation of child labor, to draw attention to the movement in all countries for the prohibition of child labor and especially its worst forms.

Child labor is an extremely complex problem and is recognized worldwide as the most significant factor in the exploitation and violation of children's rights.Kazakhstan has created a sufficient legal base to abolish the worst forms of child labor and ensure the observance of the rights of underage workers, and the laws provide for the right of every child to protection from economic exploitation.

The legal framework for combating child labor is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Declaration of the International Labor Organization on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and ratified by the International Labor Organization Minimum Age Convention for Employment and on the Prohibition and Immediate Action to Eliminate the Worst forms of child labor.

From the age of 14, children, by parental permission, during their free time from school, participate in socially useful work available to them for health reasons and development that do not harm the child’s physical, moral and mental well-being, and also have the right to receive a profession. It is prohibited by law to accept or attract a child to perform any work that is dangerous to his health, physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.

The Criminal Code establishes responsibility for violation by an employer or official of labor legislation in terms of attracting minors to work in which the use of labor of workers under the age of 18 is prohibited (Article 153 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan). Also, criminal liability is provided for the involvement of minors in the commission of criminal offenses; the involvement of minors in prostitution; vagrancy or begging; involvement in the manufacture of products of erotic content (Art. 132-134, Art.144 of the Criminal Code).

Administrative liability has been established for: the employer's admission to the work of a minor without entering into an employment contract; non-fulfillment by the employer of the established quota of jobs for underage graduates of boarding schools; non-fulfillment by parents or other legal representatives of the duties of raising and educating minor children.

In all cases of illegal child labor, the reason is the desire of adolescents to earn money due to the difficult financial situation of the family (unemployment, or insufficient income of one or two parents), which forces children to enter the labor market. The reasons that prompted children to work are expressed in the need to buy clothes, pocket money, better food, and help relatives.

The demand for child labor is explained by the fact that children are more executive, obedient, their wages are cheaper, and there are no requirements on their part. In addition, there is a lack of knowledge by employers of elementary labor laws.

Today we can still stop this problem. We must strengthen our actions for the abolition of child labor. If there are children in our environment that are involved in activities that may harm their health, safety or morality, each of us must report this, not to remain indifferent. We must strive for the realization of the right of every child. Our actions are real, our children are the future. We give them the best tomorrow they deserve.