Children banned from certain jobs<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has taken steps toward banning certain jobs for
\nchildren in order to protect them from health and moral hazards
\nand to ensure their safety, a senior government official said.<\/p>\n
Director General for Manpower Supervision, MSM Simanihuruk,
\nsaid on Tuesday, that jobs involving the production, operation
\nand maintenance of power plants, heavy equipment like tractors,
\nor other devices like sewing machines, would be on the list of
\njobs that endanger children.<\/p>\n
The government also intends to ban children from working in
\nunderground factories and places that expose them to dust and
\nradioactivity. They would be prevented from assisting in the
\nproduction of dangerous chemical substances and viruses, animal
\nhusbandry, construction, logging activities and shipping, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Jobs involving prostitution and working in discotheques,
\nmassage parlors, or the promotion of alcohol or sex enhancers,
\nwould also be illegal for children, on the grounds that they are
\nmorally hazardous, he added.<\/p>\n
"We have been drafting a decree to ban those jobs for children
\nand we hope it will be signed by the Minister of Manpower and
\nTransmigration, Jacob Nuwa Wea, next month," he told The Jakarta
\nPost, after a meeting to discuss the draft was held.<\/p>\n
Officials from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of
\nNational Education, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Social
\nAffairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and activists from
\nnongovernmental organizations, trade unions and the Indonesian
\nEmployer Association (Apindo) attended the meeting.<\/p>\n
Law No. 13\/2003 on manpower, prohibits the employment of
\nchildren involving slavery, pornography and drugs, and jobs that
\npose a hazard to children's health, safety and morality.<\/p>\n
The law also stipulates the government issue a ministerial
\ndecree to determine the type of jobs that endanger children's
\nhealth, safety and morality.<\/p>\n
It classifies children as people who have yet to reach the age
\nof 18.<\/p>\n
Under the law, a businessman is only allowed to employ
\nchildren aged between 13 and 15 under strict guidelines --
\nincluding a maximum of three working hours per day, permission
\nfrom their parents, and a daylight working period.<\/p>\n
"All the banned jobs are in the formal sector, where companies
\nare clearly identified. But we can not make a ruling that bans
\njobs in nonformal sectors to children, like begging or singing in
\nthe street, as that sector is out of our authority," Simanihuruk
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Some 500,000 children are currently working in the formal
\nsector in jobs that endanger their health, safety and morality,
\naccording to Simanihuruk's data.<\/p>\n
However, the number will extend to 2.5 million children if
\nchildren who work in the informal sector are considered.<\/p>\n
Simanihuruk said that violations of the ministerial decree
\nwould be considered as breaches of the Manpower Law.<\/p>\n
The law stipulates that any violation of the clause carries a
\nmaximum five year jail sentence or\/and a maximum Rp 500 million
\n(US$55,500) fine.<\/p>\n
Simanihuruk, however, said that such a punishment would be the
\nlast resort in enforcing the decree and the law.<\/p>\n
"An educative approach will lead the campaign to ban those
\nkind of jobs for children," he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/children-banned-from-certain-jobs-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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