The outrage in Australia as small town cafe hires 11-year-olds

A small cafe in New South Wales, Australia , has drawn criticism for allegedly hiring kids as young as 11, according to The Guardian. Children are paid wages for washing dishes, making jams and relishes, and serving customers. Notably, there is no minimum working age in New South Wales, although applicants for tax file numbers must be at least 11 years old. The news coincides with calls for a national minimum age for child labour. Let’s take a closer look at the controversy. Café that hires young kids Recently, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) covered a cafe with 100 employees, the majority of which are young people in school. Huw and Juliet Robb, the owners of Long Track Pantry in the small Australian town of Jugiong, claimed that they had a hiring problem when they first launched the cafe a few years ago. Staffing the industrial kitchen was difficult because the town only has 200 residents. “We realised we were unlikely to attract skills and talent out of the city into a regional place like Jugiong, so we needed to build our team from the ground up,” Robb told ABC News. Children are enrolled in rigorous training regimens created by staff members with backgrounds in education at the Jugiong jam factory. Before moving on to customer-facing positions, staff members in their late teens or early 20s assist the younger children with food preparation and dishwashing. Also read: What’s Australia’s new law to tackle gender pay gap? Which countries have similar rules? The controversy When the story took over the internet, netizens criticised the business and that the cafe exploited “child labour.” On the other hand, a section of people defended the decision by claiming that the kids were paid award pay. A user commented, ‘‘So we’ve moved from “children working in a café by their own volition, paid award wages plus super” to “child slavery”, now? Get in the sea!’’

While another wrote, ‘‘Yay?? Really? Getting your first job at 9 is really sad. It’s exploitative, and there’s no other way to spin it. Children should just be allowed to be children, not part of a business model that depends on child labour.’’

A netizen chipped in, ‘‘Yay! This is common sense challenging political correctness: we need more of it. I got my first job when I was 9, and it was a great learning experience. The Long Track Pantry is a fantastic enterprise: good to see these kids becoming part of it.’’

Also read: Indian educational degrees to be recognised in Australia: Why this is significant Country kids solve labour shortage problem According to a survey on employment and workplace relations, there were around 214,500 minors (15 and under) who were legally employed in Australia as of last year. The convention in the country allows for exceptions so that kids under 13 can engage in jobs that won’t harm their health, happiness, or education. Examples given include working on family farms or in stores, distributing flyers or newspapers, mowing lawns, babysitting, volunteering, or doing simple housework. Also read: U.S. to crack down on child labour amid surge in violations The debate over push for the minimum age for Australian workers With some exceptions for children under 13, the federal government is considering a recommendation to raise the minimum working age to 15, or 13 for “light work.” Australia should ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) agreement governing the minimum age for admission to employment, according to a recommendation made by a parliamentary committee in March. This would be “binding treaty action.” The Guardian quoted the committee report as stating that employment could be beneficial for young people, but “the bulk of the evidence suggests that young people’s labour is harmful to development, educational attainment, and health, especially in circumstances when a youth works only a few hours per week.” Josh Wilson, a Labour MP and committee chair, said while presenting the report that Australia had “not exactly moved fast to ratify this agreement” and that it would be the 176th nation to do so. According to him, the agreement had three essential obligations. The minimum age for admission to employment, he said, should be the age at which compulsory schooling is completed, which should in any event be at least 15 years old. “They are to describe the circumstances for children no younger than 13 years to perform light labour, when permitted by national law, and establish 18 years as the minimum age for hazardous work, or 16 years provided certain precautions are in place.” He believes ratifying the convention would provide Australia a better chance of identifying and outlawing child labour. Anne Hollonds, the national children’s commissioner, also endorsed the above suggestions while also highlighting the dangers that young labourers face. She explained, “It’s not just about making sure the task isn’t dangerous; it’s about the setting of young kids working with older kids and adults.” Minimum hiring age across the world In order to limit child labour, numerous regulations and provisions are in place in the different states and areas of the country, some of which do not specify a minimum age. In India, the law prohibits child labour below the age of 14 excluding children working as child artists and in a family business. Child labour law also prohibits adolescents between the age of 14 and 18 to work in any hazardous or dangerous occupations and processes. Additionally, it ensures free and compulsory education for all children in the age group of 6-14 yrs. According to Anglo Info Japan, the minimum legal working age in Japan is 15 years old. The country has placed strict guidelines to avoid any risk of violating rights. The website suggests the minimal legal age for employment in Argentina is 14 with strict rules in place. Anyone below 18 is not allowed to take part in hard work. In Brazil, 16 is the earliest age at which you can begin working. But, you can start working at 14 if you’re in an apprenticeship. No children are allowed to work at night because Brazil is still one of the most unsafe places on earth, according to ILO. According to the US Department of Labor, the minimum age for employment in America is 14 for non-agricultural jobs. Nonetheless, there is no upper age limit for minors employed in jobs that fall under the “chore” category. As per Oldest.org, the minimum working age in Canada is 13, but only in certain regions. Rules forbid working more than part-time, and 18 is the legal age to start working full-time. Also, until they are 16, pupils must attend school full-time according to federal law. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .