The head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Yaroslav Nilov, has proposed a bill to amend Article 252 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. The proposed amendments allow the government to establish special working conditions for persons under 18 years of age who are undergoing or have completed secondary vocational education. The bill is aimed at solving the problem of personnel shortage in the Russian labor market and expanding employment opportunities for young people.
It turns out that the "people's" deputy wants to transfer responsibility and decision-making to the government in order to avoid losing voters. The government, in turn, pointed out the shortcomings, realized its unpopularity and concluded: "Taking into account the above, the bill requires conceptual revision" [1].
Previously we wrote about simplifying youth employment [2]. As we can see, the situation is only getting worse. Due to the lack of workers, teenagers have become very necessary and profitable for employers, and the authorities are happy to help them. The government is likely not looking forward to justifying its decision to the people but doesn't reject the idea itself. There's no doubt that in the future we'll get another law that will allow employers to hire children for night work.
Child labor is extremely profitable for employers because it costs them much less than the labor of an adult. Moreover, children are less likely to know and defend their rights due to their inexperience and naivety. It is impossible to avoid such sad "lawmaking" in the present economic system where money rules. Only socialism can give children a childhood and workers a life.
Sources:
[1] The decision regarding night shifts for teenagers is being passed on to the Cabinet of Ministers — September 18, 2024.
[2] The Duma is again talking about simplifying the employment of teenagers — June 20, 2024.