The ILO Convention Concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment C138,1973 ILO Convention C138: Minimum Age Convention (Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment)(58th Conference Session Geneva 1973), 1015 United Nations Treaty Series, p. 297. is a convention adopted in 1973 by the International Labour Organization. It requires ratifying states to pursue a national policy designed to ensure the effective abolition of child labour and to raise progressively the minimum age for admission to employment or work. It is one of eight ILO fundamental conventions. Convention C138 replaces several similar ILO conventions in specific fields of labour.
Minimum ages Countries are free to specify a minimum age for labour, with a minimum of 15 years. A declaration of 14 years is also possible when for a specified period of time. Laws may also permit light work for children aged 13–15 (not harming their health or school work). The minimum age of 18 years is specified for work which "is likely to jeopardise the health, safety or morals of young persons". Definitions of the type of work and derogations are only possible after tripartite consultations (if such a system exists in the ratifying country).
Effect on other conventions The convention is a revision of several conventions for workers in specific areas. Upon entry into force, some of these conventions were closed for ratification and becoming a party to this convention automatically resulted in denunciation of the older ones. An overview of older minimum age conventions of ILO is shown below: ILO code Field conclusion date entry into force closure for signature/withdrawal Parties(January 2023) Denunciations(January 2023) Revising convention(s)Text and ratifications references C5 Industry 28 November 1919 13 June 1921 N.A. 1 71 C59, this convention C7 Sea 7 July 1920 27 September 1921 19 June 2021 1 52 C58, this convention, MLC C10 Agriculture 16 November 1921 31 August 1923 N.A. 4 51 this convention C15 trimmers and stokers 11 November 1921 20 November 1922 N.A. 7 62 this convention C33 Non-Industrial Employment (revised) 30 April 1932 6 June 1935 29 December 1950 2 23 C60, this convention C58 Sea (revised) 24 October 1936 11 April 1939 N.A. 6 45 this convention, MLC C59 Industry (revised) 22 June 1937 21 February 1941 19 June 1976 8 28 this convention C60 Non-Industrial Employment 22 June 1937 29 December 1950 N.A. 0 11 this convention C112 Fishermen 19 June 1959 7 November 1961 N.A. 2 27 this convention, Work in Fishing Convention C123 Underground Work 22 June 1965 10 November 1967 N.A. 21 20 this convention
Ratifications
ILO Convention C138 entered into force one year after deposition of the first two ratifications (Cuba and Libya). As of July 2023 176 countries have ratified Convention C138. Initially, however, the pace of ratification of this convention was extremely slow. Therefore, an alternative Convention with a more limited scope was initiated in 1999. p. 74 referring to 1999 ILO Convention C182: Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour), 2133 United Nations Treaty Series, p. 163 It concerns ILO Convention 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
Convention C138 enters into force for a ratifying country one year after ratification. This can be denounced every 10 years in the year after 10 years have passed (e.g. – ). +The following countries have ratified this convention: Country Date Minimum age (years) Afghanistan 14 Albania 16 Algeria 16 Angola 14 Antigua and Barbuda 16 Argentina 14 Armenia 16 Australia 15 Austria 15 Azerbaijan 16 Bahamas 14 Bahrain 15 Bangladesh 14 Barbados 15 Belarus (as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic) 16 Belgium 15 Belize 14 Benin 14 Bolivia 14 Bosnia and Herzegovina 15 Botswana 14 Brazil 16 Brunei 16 Bulgaria 16 Burkina Faso 15 Burundi 16 Cambodia 14 Cameroon 14 Canada 16 Cape Verde 15 Central African Republic 14 Chad 14 Chile 15 China 16 Colombia 14 Comoros 15 Congo 14 Costa Rica 15 Côte d'Ivoire 14 Croatia 15 Cuba 15 Cyprus 15 Czech Republic 15 Democratic Republic of the Congo 14 Denmark 15 Djibouti 16 Dominica 15 Dominican Republic 14 Ecuador 14 Egypt 14 El Salvador 14 Equatorial Guinea 14 Eritrea 14 Estonia 15 Ethiopia 14 Fiji 15 Finland 15 France 16 Gabon 16 Gambia 14 Ghana 15 Georgia 15 Germany 15 Greece 15 Grenada 16 Guatemala 14 Guinea 16 Guinea-Bissau 14 Guyana 15 Haiti 14 Honduras 14 Hungary 16 Iceland 15 India 14 Indonesia 15 Iraq 15 Ireland 16 Israel 15 Italy 15 Jamaica 15 Japan 15 Jordan 16 Kazakhstan 16 Kenya 16 Kiribati 14 South Korea 15 Kuwait 15 Kyrgyzstan 16 Laos 14 Latvia 15 Lebanon 14 Lesotho 15 Liberia 15 Libya 15 Lithuania 16 Luxembourg 15 Macedonia 15 Madagascar 15 Malawi 14 Malaysia 15 Maldives16 Mali 15 Malta 16 Mauritania 14 Mauritius 15 Mexico 15 Moldova 16 Montenegro 15 Mongolia 15 Morocco 15 Mozambique 15 Myanmar 14 Namibia 14 Nepal 14 Netherlands (European territory) 15 Netherlands (Aruba) Verdragenbank Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands 15 Nicaragua 14 Niger 14 Nigeria 15 Norway 15 Oman 15 Pakistan 14 Panama 14 Papua New Guinea 16 Paraguay 14 Peru 14 Philippines 15 Poland 15 Portugal 16 Qatar 16 Romania 16 Russia (as the Soviet Union) 16 Rwanda 14 Saint Kitts and Nevis 16 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14 Samoa 15 San Marino 16 São Tomé and Príncipe 14 Saudi Arabia 15 Senegal 15 Serbia (as Serbia and Montenegro) 15 Seychelles 15 Sierra Leone 16 Singapore 15 Slovakia 15 Slovenia 15 Solomon Islands 14 South Africa 16 South Sudan 14 Spain 16 Sri Lanka 14 Sudan 14 Suriname 16 Swaziland 15 Sweden 15 Switzerland 15 Syria 15 Tajikistan 16 Tanzania 14 Thailand 15 Togo 14 Trinidad and Tobago 16 Tunisia 16 Turkey 15 Turkmenistan 16 Uganda 14 Ukraine (as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic) 16 United Arab Emirates 15 United Kingdom 16 Uruguay 15 Uzbekistan 15 Venezuela 14 Vietnam 15 Vanuatu 14 Yemen 14 Zambia 15 Zimbabwe 14
References
External links
List of Ratifications General description of ILO Conventions Text of the Convention at the Center for a World in Balance