children and youth under 15 as stated in Attachment 9-6 of the
Second Report.
(2) In addition to fining employers who violate the law so as to
protect child/youth workers from being paid less than the legal
minimum wage, the Government should also establish a regular
visitation and counseling mechanism and provide policy
incentives to exemplary employers for the purpose of improving
the working conditions of child/youth workers. Additionally,
labor resources should be invested in junior high schools and
elementary schools in order to establish a long-term effectiveness
monitoring mechanism, while welfare services should be utilized
to assist economically disadvantaged children and youth.
Occupational Injuries and Labor Complaints among Child/Youth Workers
124. A government study94 has shown that although the occupational injury
rate per thousand teenage workers dropped to 4.20 in 2017, it is still
higher than the occupational injury rate per thousand workers in Taiwan
(2.773). Furthermore, according to a government-commissioned
study95, 39% of survey respondents said that they suffered occupational
injuries in the workplace. The NHRC has observed that statistics do not
reflect the actual number of occupational injuries, as many child and
youth workers agree to settle with their employer privately due to a lack
of understanding of labor rights or in order to avoid trouble.
125. In comparing the number of complaints received and the statistics on
child and youth labor violations between 2018 and 2021, the NHRC
found that only roughly 4% (39 out of 907) of cases filed a complaint
through the hotline, showing a very low number of complaints received
via the complaint channel or from children and youth whose rights have
been violated.
126. Recommendations:
(1) The Government should formulate an effective workplace safety
policy for teens, assess the feasibility of establishing a
child/youth labor audit department and associated personnel,
conduct labor inspections that focus on children, increase the
94
95
Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health, MOL (2019). Study of the Causes of Occupational
Injuries in Teenage Workers and Their Preventive Measures.
MOE (2019). Investigation and Study of Off-Campus Employment of Students Under 18 in Senior
High School Continuing Education Programs.
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