Relevant Legislation
The Government of Cambodia, Cambodian Labour Law (1997)2
Minimum Age of Employment
Article 177(1) of the Cambodian Labour Law (1997) stipulates that the minimum allowable age for paid employment in Cambodia is 15 years, however children between the ages of 12 and 15 may be employed to do light work based on the following conditions: that the work is not hazardous to their health or mental and physical development [Article 177(4)(A)], that the child receives adequate instruction and training [Article 177(3)], and so long as the work does not affect their regular school attendance or their participation in guidance programs and vocational training opportunities [Article 177(4)(b)].
Working Hours
Article 175 of the Cambodian Labour Law (1997) provides that children under the age of 18 may not perform night work, except where the Ministry in Charge of Labour provides a special dispensation for a child over the age of 16 to perform night work due to the nature of the industry in which the child wishes to work (i.e. one that must operate day and night). The Ministry in Charge of Labour in consultation with the Labour Advisory Committee is also mandated to determine the maximum number of hours or work authorised for children aged between 12 and 15 via ministerial order (a Prakas) [Article 177(5)].
Types of Work Prohibited
Minors of less than eighteen years old cannot be employed in underground mines or quarries [Article 174].
Additional Protective Measures
Lists of working children below the age of 18 must be kept by employers and submitted to the labour inspector. These children must have their guardians’ consent in order to work. Furthermore, the labour inspector can request a physician to examine children, in order to ensure their work is not beyond their physical capabilities. In orphanages and charitable institutions, vocational training for children under the age of 14 must not exceed three hours per day. Finally a record of children's working conditions in orphanages must be submitted to the labour inspector every year [Articles 179 – 181].
Endnotes
2 Cambodian Labour Law, 1997, available at http://www.gocambodia.com/laws/labor_ law.asp (accessed 16/05/11).
