KYRGYZ CHILD LABOR UPDATE

UNCLAS BISHKEK 000136 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (GORKOWSKI),DRL/ILCSR (HAILEY) LABOR FOR ILAB (MCCARTER) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI KG SUBJECT: KYRGYZ CHILD LABOR UPDATE Ref: 08 STATE 127448 ¶1. (U) In response to reftel request seeking current information on child labor and government efforts to address the issue in the Kyrgyz Republic, Embassy notes from anecdotal reporting that child labor still exists in the country. Kyrgyz law provides for the protection of children from economic exploitation and from work that poses a danger to their health or development; however, according to UNICEF, approximately 4 percent of the country's children aged five to 14 years were engaged in child labor. Child labor has been noted in the following sectors: tobacco, cotton, rice, cattle breeding, mining, construction, brick making, car washing, shoe cleaning, and retail sales of tobacco and alcohol. Children were also involved in family enterprises, particularly in agriculture and roadside kiosks. According to the Agricultural Workers Union, the number of children involved in child labor may be up to 125,000. When Kyrgyz Can Enter the Workforce -------------- ¶2. (U) According to Kyrgyz law, the minimum legal age for basic employment is 16, except for certain circumstances, such as selling newspapers. In addition, Kyrgyz law bans the employment of persons under 18 in difficult or dangerous conditions, including the metal and oil and gas industries, mining and prospecting, the food industry, entertainment, and machine building. Between the ages of 14 and 15, children can work up to five hours a day, and between the ages of 16 and 18 they can work up to seven hours per day. These laws also apply to children with disabilities. The minimum age for military recruitment is 18. Kyrgyz Government Efforts to Combat Child Labor -------------- -- ¶3. (U) In January 2008, the Kyrgyz government adopted the State Program of Actions of Social Partners on the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Kyrgyzstan for 2008-2011. This step complements other government efforts to include ratification of ILO Convention 182 by Law No. 244 in 2003. ¶4. (U) The Prosecutor General's office and the State Labor Inspectorate are responsible for enforcing employers' compliance with the labor code. During 2008, inspectors conducted occasional spot-checks of child labor law compliance. During the first six months of the year, the prosecutor general's office conducted 52 checks, resulting in 16 written notifications, 33 demands for immediate action, 142 warnings, and four disciplinary actions against five individuals. Since many children worked for their families or were self-employed, it was difficult for the government to determine whether their work complied with the labor code. Although employers caught violating the labor code could be charged with financial or criminal penalties, punishment was usually minimal. ¶5. (U) The Kyrgyz government supported several social programs to prevent the engagement of children in exploitative child labor. In August 2007, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with ILO, began a program to enable teachers to combat the worst forms of child labor. GFOELLER