Pablo Caram assured that in the department there are children who “help” their parents in the tobacco factories and the MTSS decided to act.
The mayor of Artigas, Pablo Caramspoke about the existence of child labor in the productions of tobacco of the department and then tried to clarify his statements by assuring that this type of labor is not about employees hired by the tobacco companies, but about children who “help” their parents in small producer plantations.
The member of the National Party (P.N.) stated on Channel 12 that “in Artigas the family unit works with the small producer”, so it is normal to see children “accompanying” and “helping” their parents in the tobacco establishments.
“The guy likes that,” he said, referring to the children“You leave a guy locked in the house and he can do any kind of damage to you,” he said.
“I am in contact with the tobacco growers,” said the Artiguense mayor, and added that they “don’t hire a 13-year-old jobber, the farmer’s children work because the production of tobacco From the beginning, to the harvest and burning, it is all artisanal. If they have to hire, they lose, then the family works,” he pointed out.
Minister Mieres ordered an inspection of the Artigas tobacco growers
The repercussions within the government and the opposition to the comments of Damn they did not wait, so much so that the minister of Work and Social Security (MTSS), Pablo Mieresordered an inspection of the tobacco establishments in Artigas.
Through his X (Twitter) account, the minister Mieres expressed his “radical rejection” of the mayor’s “inadmissible expressions” Damn.
Likewise, he commented that he ordered, together with the Labor inspector, Tomas Teijeirosending inspectors from the Environmental Working Conditions Division (CAT) and the General Working Conditions Division (CGT), in coordination with the Institute for Children and Adolescents of Uruguay (INAU) to the tobacco establishments in the north of the country.
In the month of June, Mieres signed a commitment to the International Labor Organization (ILO) along with their peers Latin America to put an end to child labor in our countries.
Currently, it is estimated that more than 8 million minors are working in the region. In turn, of that total of children and adolescents, some 5.5 million are performing dangerous work tasks.
Source: Ambito
