Meatpacker Hit with Record Fine for MN Child Labor Law Violations – KROC-AM

St. Paul, MN – Meatpacking Company Fined for Violating Child Labor Laws

A meatpacking company has been fined for violating child labor laws at its plant in southern Minnesota.

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Announces Record Fine

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) announced its largest fine resulting from a child labor audit in the agency’s history on Thursday.

The DLI conducted an audit covering a two-year period from April 2021 to April 2023.

Multiple Violations Uncovered at Smithfield Meat Packing Plant

The audit revealed multiple violations of Minnesota’s child labor laws at the Smithfield Meat Packing Plant in St. James.

The company is accused of employing at least 11 minors between the ages of 14 and 17, with three of them starting work at the age of 14.

DLI found that Smithfield employed nine of the 11 minors outside of the permitted working hours. The company is also accused of assigning the minor workers to hazardous tasks, such as operating meat grinders and slicers.

The minors were exposed to chemicals and other hazardous substances at the plant.

Smithfield Fined $2 Million

DLI has fined Smithfield $2 million for the violations. In addition to the fine, the company has been ordered to take steps to ensure child labor compliance, conduct industry outreach related to child labor compliance, and require staffing agencies to comply with child labor laws.

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SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
   • Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group (relevant for the violation of child labor laws)

The article addresses the issue of child labor violations at a meatpacking plant in southern Minnesota. This issue is connected to SDG 8, which focuses on promoting decent work and economic growth. Specifically, the article highlights the violation of child labor laws, which is a form of forced labor and a worst form of child labor.

The specific target under SDG 8 that can be identified based on the article’s content is Target 8.7, which calls for immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. The article mentions that the meatpacking company employed at least 11 minors between the ages of 14 and 17, with three of them starting work at the age of 14. This indicates a violation of child labor laws and the presence of one of the worst forms of child labor.

The article does not explicitly mention the indicator 8.7.1, which measures the proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor. However, it implies the need for such an indicator to measure the extent of child labor in the meatpacking industry. The article states that the company employed nine of the 11 minors after hours they are permitted by law to work, indicating the need to track and measure the hours worked by child laborers.

Source: krocnews.com