(Quebec) The Minister of Labour, Jean Boulet, will table his bill on Tuesday to regulate child labor.
It should be based largely on the report submitted to it by the Advisory Committee on Labor and Manpower (CCTM), according to information gathered by The Canadian Press.
The group of unions and employers’ associations unanimously recommended last December that the general age for admission to employment be set at 14 years.
Clearly, this would mean that young people aged 11, 12 or 13 could no longer work, except for exceptions that would be provided for by regulation.
The CCTM also recommended prohibiting young people between the ages of 14 and 16 from working more than 17 hours per week (including weekends) during the school year.
Monday to Friday would be a maximum of 10 hours. These last two restrictions would not apply during holidays and spring breaks.
In the midst of a labor shortage, more and more children find themselves in the labor market, with the risks that entails.
Their increased presence in the workplace not only raises health and safety issues, accidents having jumped by 36% among those under 16 in 2021, but also school dropouts.
Currently, in Quebec, there is no minimum age to work, unlike many other Canadian provinces.