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Ecuador
to stage anti-child labor
campaign
Ecuador will inspect public
buildings, banana and flower
plantations, and mines in March,
to begin its campaign to reduce
child labor in the country, an
official said on Wednesday.
Ruth Mosquera, coordinator of
Ecuador's National Committee for
the Elimination of Child Labor (Conepti)
said that the inspection, which
is one of the first measures to
combat child labor, is an
important step forward for the
agency.
According to preliminary data
from Conepti, nearly 62,700
children under 11 years old work
in the South American country.
Sodo over 125,600 children
between 12 and 14 years old and
nearly 234,100 of 15-17 years
old.
Most child labor is precarious
and marginally legal. Some 59
percent have temporary contracts
which are verbal in nature.
While over 125,117 children and
adolescents earn some from their
work, around 97,000 work for no
pay at all, according to the
data.
Mosquera said Conepti expected
the government to allocate money
for the inspection program
within days.
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