A company that cleans slaughterhouses has been penalized $649,000 for employing minors.
Fayette Cleaning Services uncovered at least 24 underage workers, some as young as 13, in its employment during an investigation by the Department of Labor (DOL). These youngsters were assigned to work night duties at two abattoir establishments, as revealed by the DOL.
Federal regulations prohibit the employment of minors in certain tasks at slaughterhouses and meat-packing plants, including operating or cleaning machinery due to the dangerous nature of the tasks.
As part of the punishment, Fayette is required to pay a fine and enlist a third-party agency to avoid any future instances of child labor. Additionally, the company must create a platform for reporting suspicions about child labor.
Fayette issued a statement saying, "The realization of deceitful identifications enabling underage individuals to flout our standards prompted immediate action." In the same statement, they shared that they've invested in advanced technologies to prevent such incidents from reoccurring.
The organization emphasized its cooperation with the DOL and its commitment to creating a secure and compliant workspace for all employees.
The regulatory actions were initiated following a temporary injunction by a federal court in response to the DOL's request in February. The DOL’s investigation uncovered underage workers at Seaboard Triumph Foods in Sioux City, Iowa, and Perdue Farms in Accomac, Virginia. The findings indicated that these minors were tasked with cleaning hazardous equipment, such as head splitters, neck clippers, and meat bandsaws.
Perdue disassociated themselves from Fayette Janitorial Services, stating, "We severed our relationship with Fayette Janitorial Services before this legal action." The company also expressed a zero-tolerance policy for underage labor, stating "There's no space for underage workers in our business or our industry."
Seaboard, a pork processor, couldn't immediately be reached for comment. The company announced its discontinuation of all its agreements with Fayette in February, according to a report by The Sioux City Journal.
Reports of illegal child labor have increased significantly in the recent past. Last year, Packers Sanitation Services was fined $1.5 million for using minors in hazardous occupations and having them work during night shifts, according to a DOL investigation.
– Melissa Alonso and Ramishah Maruf of CNN contributed to this article.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
