US: Proposed Rules Would Save Child Farmworker Lives

[Judi Lynn]

US: Proposed Rules Would Save Child Farmworker Lives
02 Feb 2012 23:39
Source: Content partner // Human Rights Watch

(Washington, DC) - The US House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade is holding a hearing on February 2, 2012, on proposed rules to prevent child farmworkers from taking on the most dangerous tasks. The new rules are intended to make paid farm work safer for the hundreds of thousands of children in the United States who labor in agriculture. They would not apply to children working on their parents' farms.

"Sixteen children died at work in the US last year, and twelve of those were fatally injured while working on farms," said Zama Coursen-Neff, deputy children's rights director at Human Rights Watch. "The rules need to change to ensure that the most dangerous farm jobs are done by adults, not children."

http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/news/us-proposed-rules-would-save-child-farmworker-lives

[IndyJones]

1. How old are the children? There's not a lot of detail in that short article.

Now I'm curious about this issue. Had not heard it was an issue before.

eta: Nevermind...consulted google.

[bread_and_roses]

2. Oh, right. Let's put a band-aide on a gaping wound, as usual

How about paying farm work enough that parents don't have to send their children into the fields to help support the family?