According to the 2005 New South Wales Children at Work survey (NSW commission for children and young people) the five types of work done by the majority of children are baby sitting, sales work, leaflet and newspaper delivery work, agricultural and horticultural work and cleaning.

Family businesses are a common place of work for children (a 2006 ABS study indicated that at least 33% of children under 15 worked on a family farm or in a family business between June 2005 and June 2006).

Many children engaged in agricultural and horticultural work on a family farm are exposed to potential dangers (even if this is deemed ‘light work’) such as working around dangerous machinery and equipment. Research undertaken by the South Australian Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service found that 30 children aged 0 to 14 years die on Australian farms each year and approximately 600 are admitted to hospital because of farm-related injuries.

There continues to be a lack of detailed data in relation to the employment of children. For example, Worksafe Victoria merely provides statistics on injuries in the workplace for an aggregate of those aged under 20. The available data from the Worksafe found online indicates that there were between 700 and 1,000 injuries per annum of those aged under 20 (1996 to 2006). The mentioned research undertaken by the South Australian Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service states that, “On average, 30 children aged 0 to 14 years die on Australian farms each year and around 600 are admitted to hospital because of farm-related injuries”.

Young people have always been particularly vulnerable to exploitation due to their lack of experience, and in many cases confidence, to speak up when they are being treated unfairly or are working in unsafe conditions. In a submission to the ACT Government in 2007, the Youth Coalition of the ACT states that young people are likely to have:

• low levels of knowledge about industrial relations;
• limited experience in workplace bargaining;
• low levels of accessing complaints processes;
• significant power imbalances between themselves and their employers;
• work in low skill industries; and,
• high levels of unemployment.

Some of the key issues raised in the Child Employment Principles Case 2007 by the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales relating to Occupational Health & Safety, were the issue of high rates (and non-reporting) of accidents concerning young people. The Case found a high level of incidences of harassment and bullying of children/young people in employment (particularly verbal).

Some of the other key issues raised in the Child Employment Principles Case 2007 include:

• exploitation due to unpaid training;
• importance of higher rates for weekend work;
• the importance of advance notice of rosters and changes to rosters;
• the potential negative affects of long and irregular hours of work late at night or early in the morning; and,
• a high level of casual employment amongst young people.

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