Working Conditions of the Child Worker in Turkish Labour Law

Abstract

Child labor is one of the most important subjects related to work in Turkey. The children of the poor families feel the necessity to enter the work force. The necessity which stems from the economic hardship forces the child and adolescent workers to accept unhealthy working conditions. Having said that, it would be wrong to assume that the sole purpose of the children workers is to earn a living. Research indicates that another purpose is to learn a profession. There exist regulations that limit the child labor in Turkey. Through these regulations, several occupations are prohibited to be undertaken by child labor and reduction in working hours is enforced. The Labor Code that came into force in 2003 contains important regulations in this regard. The labor Code introduced important responsibilities to employers and unions. Turkey also took part in international agreements and working towards fulfilling her duty as a result of these agreements. Furthermore, Ministry of Labor and Social Security runs several programs tailored for child labor. IPEC Project is the important program among those. These programs involve not only the child labor, but also their families as well. To sum up, Turkey is aware of the fact that child labor is a social and economic problem. As a result, the efforts towards resolving the issue is ongoing and important steps are being taken towards the EU membership.