AMERICA/MEXICO - Children forced to work 35 hours per week in dangerous conditions

Thursday, 5 June 2014

Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - Of the more than three million children who carry out any type of work and in poor conditions in Mexico, 1 million 200 thousand, or 39%, do not go to school. According to data collected by the Módulo de Trabajo Infantil INEGI - Secretaría del Trabajo, 5.5 % of children work in unsuitable places, 28% do risky jobs and work for more than 15 hours, and 31.5 % for periods longer than 35 hours per week. Despite the total failure of the few regulations provided against this type of abuse, there are no fines. Child labor represents a social problem linked among other things to poverty, inequality, lack of opportunity, unemployment, family disintegration. The areas with the largest number of working children between 5 and 17 years of age are found in the states of Mexico, Chiapas, Jalisco, Puebla, Guerrero, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Veracruz and the Federal District. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 05/06/2014)


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