Czechia ・ Child labour

Lack of workers? Bring in the teens!

31 July 2024

For some a relic of the past, Czechia is introducing legal work for 14-year-olds, but only during summer holidays. Children could do undemanding jobs for no more than seven hours a day. Their wage would be the national minimum hourly wage set at €4.44. Overtime and night work for this age group are to be prohibited. The government has approved the proposal, which now awaits parliamentary approval.

According to the ministry of labour and social affairs, the new measure will aid businesses by alleviating summer labour shortages. "Children must also be educated primarily during the year and have more free time during the holidays anyway," their official said.

Some government officials and industry groups believe that the initiative contradicts existing legal child protection. Nevertheless, some parents welcome the decision, as many Czech children under 15 are already working illegally to earn some extra cash for the family or cover the wage gap between urban and rural areas. The state does not report on the number of illegally working children under the age of 15. In 2017, there were 3,457 applications for work permits for 14-year-olds. However, many more likely work illegally without government oversight.

Many European countries, however, have already set their approach to legal child labour. In Sweden, for example, a child must be 13 years old in order to legally work. It must not include night shifts, heavy lifting or selling goods with an age limit, such as alcohol. In Bulgaria, boys aged 13 and girls over 14 can also work in circuses or as film and theatre extras. In some countries like Denmark, Latvia, and the UK, teenagers have to obtain either parental consent or police permits to be able to work.


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