據哥倫比亞廣播公司新聞網5月3日報道，美國勞工部一項調查發現，美國3家麥當勞特許經營商非法雇傭300餘名童工，其中包括兩名10歲兒童。該調查顯示，這3家麥當勞特許經營商在肯塔基、印第安納、馬裡蘭和俄亥俄等州經營62處麥當勞餐廳，合計雇傭305名童工，從事法律不允許該年齡段勞工進行的操作。
近年來，美國童工問題愈演愈烈，勞工部資料顯示，自2018年以來，非法雇用童工的情況增加了69%。而美國多州卻在推動放寬童工雇用限制，将未成年人置于危險的境地。
資料圖
A McDonald's franchisee in Kentucky employed two 10-year-old children in violation of federal labor laws, the Department of Labor said Tuesday. Bauer Food, LLC, a Louisville-based operator of 10 McDonald's franchise locations across two states, employed the children, the DOL said in a news release.美國勞工部5月1日表示，肯塔基州麥當勞特許經營商鮑爾食品有限公司雇傭了兩名10歲兒童，違反聯邦勞動法。鮑爾食品有限公司是一家位于路易斯維爾的營運商，在兩個州經營10家麥當勞特許經營店。
Officials said the children were not paid, yet sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m. and they "prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the store, worked at the drive-thru window and operated a register." Investigators learned that "one of the two children was allowed to operate a deep fryer, a prohibited task for workers under 16 years old."勞工部官員稱，這些童工沒有工資，但有時工作到淩晨2點，他們"準備和分發食品訂單，打掃商店，在自選視窗工作并操作收銀機"。調查人員了解到，"兩名10歲兒童中一人被允許操作油炸機，這是一項禁止16歲以下勞工從事的工作"。
The employment of the 10-year-old children wasn't the only violation DOL investigators found. The Wages and Hour Division of DOL found Bauer Food, LLC employed 24 minors under the age of 16 to work more than legally permitted hours. The DOL assessed nearly $40,000 in penalties.調查人員發現，鮑爾食品不止存在一項違規行為。勞工部工資和工時司稱，該公司雇用了24名16歲以下的未成年人，工作時間超過了法律允許的時間。勞工部對其處以近40000美元的罰款。
In addition to Bauer Food, LLC, the Wages and Hour Division also investigated Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC. The three franchisees operate 62 McDonald's locations across Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio.除鮑爾食品公司外，工資和工時司還調查了Archways Richwood和貝爾餐廳集團。這三家特許經營商在肯塔基州、印第安納州、馬裡蘭州和俄亥俄州經營62家麥當勞分店。
The three franchisees employed 305 children to work more than the legally permitted hours, investigators found. The workers also performed tasks prohibited for minor employees.調查人員發現，三家特許經營商雇用了305名兒童，工作時間超過了法律允許的時間。這些童工還從事未成年雇員禁止從事的工作。
Another franchisee of the McDonald's corporation broke U.S. labor laws by allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work outside of legal hours at 13 restaurants, the DOL said in December. The department found similar violations at Burger King, Subway and Popeyes earlier in 2022.勞工部去年12月稱，麥當勞另一家特許經營商違反了美國勞動法，允許14歲和15歲的兒童在法定工作時間之外在13家餐廳工作。該部門在2022年早些時候在漢堡王、賽百味和大力水手炸雞發現了類似違法行為。
The DOL has seen a 69 percent increase in children being employed illegally by companies since 2018, the agency said in late February. Officials did not offer an explanation for the surge in unlawful employment. The DOL issued $4,386,205 in child labor civil money penalties for 2022, according to agency data.勞工部今年2月底表示，自2018年以來，美國非法雇用童工的情況增加了69%。政府官員未對非法雇傭激增現象作出解釋。根據該部門資料，勞工部在2022年作出了4386205美元的童工民事賠償金處罰。
另據勞工部統計，在2022财年發現688名兒童被非法雇傭從事危險工作，為2011财年以來的最高數字。
近年來，美國童工問題愈演愈烈，多個州正在推動放寬童工雇用限制，将未成年人置于危險的境地。據《紐約時報》報道，美國多州立法機構正在推動施行相關法案，以延長未成年人的工作時間，取消對危險職業的限制等。
In Arkansas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law in March to make it easier for children under 16 to get hired. In Iowa, lawmakers in the state Senate in April passed legislation that would permit 14- and 15-year-olds to work in freezers and meat coolers.今年3月，阿肯色州州長桑德斯簽署法案，放寬了16歲以下兒童的雇傭條件。艾奧瓦州參議院立法者于4月通過了一項立法，允許14歲和15歲的兒童在冷凍櫃和肉類冷藏室内工作。
編輯：董靜，李蕙帆（實習）
來源：中國日報網