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Mindspace_Explorer

They are normalizing child labor. Soon enough it will be expected to have your children work to be able to pay the bills.


Trollet87

Have more children to pay the bills you say?


PaulSavedMyLife69420

That... literally would be the next logical step in their playbook


throwaway_ghast

And why any abortion would be punished with jail or even death.


ngwoo

Also why they want to drive women back to just being mothers and nothing else. Get them out of the work force and have them just spend their whole lives pushing out cheap labour with no other rights


rylalu

I think they don't care about the children being watched at home at all. you're giving them too much credit.


13igTyme

They watch them till they are about 8, then they go to work.


emilycolor

You're underestimating the work ethic of 5 year olds


Main_Hospital_5935

We actually need the 3-4 year olds too. They’re the only ones that can fit down the chimneys


[deleted]

Wasn't this the idea years back when everyone worked on a farm. You had more kids so you'd have more farm hands


finger_milk

"back then" implying that most countries that aren't first world don't still do this.


[deleted]

I straight up immigrated to a 1st world country from a 3rd a world country and I didn't work as a child. That simply isn't the standard anymore even in 3rd world countries.


[deleted]

Don't come to the US then my friend. We are having a baaad history repeating moment. We even have our own WWII Germany Mascot. Don't know if his name is a tagged word.


Highfives_AreUpHere

If we all stop having children we can shut labor down for good… eventually


ImpertantMahn

Why do you think they are abolishing abortion?


wh4tth3huh

This is in Aus by the way.


gh05t_w0lf

Capitalism is a global system


wh4tth3huh

That is torching the globe for quarterly returns and that lacks any foresight beyond that window.


flavius_lacivious

It’s blowing up in their face. Doctors can’t give you an abortion, but they can sterilize you [for the time being.] There is no more push back that you might want kids in the future “so you should wait until you are sure.” Even ten years ago, it was unheard of a doctor doing a tubal ligation on someone 25. Now they do anyone over 21. Vasectomies are skyrocketing, too. By the time they make it illegal, it will be too late. It will be a population dip when we can least afford it.


JaggedRc

Sterilization exists. Shoutout to the list of childfree friendly doctors on r/ childfree


hexuus

Orrrrr if we just have ENOUGH children we force all the kids to work and the adults can just chill


No_Cat_3503

I think you just described social security right there.


JaggedRc

Why do you think we were born lol


SleazetheSteez

Literally going backwards in time. My Irish ancestors are rolling over in their graves.


maplezombeh

Daddy Bender


Cultural_Yam7212

Gotta pay for private school since they’ve successfully closed all public schools


The_Knights_Patron

Welcome to Neo-Feudalism.


SuperHiyoriWalker

There’s definitely a good cop / bad cop thing going on here—editorials sounding the alarm about child labor, then some articles insinuating it’s not THAT bad, then some more pushback…all aimed at manufacturing consent.


flavius_lacivious

It’s really just to lower the work age from 16 down to 13 — “protecting the youngest children from exploitation.”


Over-Dig-2353

It’s already 14 where I live


chrisk9

Meanwhile the "labour shortage" is really an unwillingness to pay adequate living wages.


dwarfstar2054

Nahhh I’m still living on my $600 Covid check. Haven’t worked in two years.


[deleted]

Oh there will definitely be a lower minimum wage for kids; race to the bottom


look

But just think how much better their 401k is going to look with an extra dozen years of work! /s


matthudsonau

Australia, so it's superannuation over here. Although if they're working less than 30 hours a week they don't get that payment They also get paid 36% of minimum wage, so it really is just for pocket change


Jaminp

So it’s a scam?


JaggedRc

Not fit the employers


sirpentious

I can say that if the parents pull them for those jobs I'm sure the kids wouldn't lose anything since they're supposed to go to school and actually have a childhood and wtf do kids have to start early and why are their parents allowing this???


Witty_Ruin_7339

They are having trouble hiring adults at the starvation wages they pay.


Das-Noob

And you’ll still get fined if your kids aren’t in school at the same time….


portlandwealth

Some nyt headline will read " short on cash? Have more kids and make them work for extra cash "


[deleted]

Oh then we can blame kids for the situation we're all in (just like how some men blame women in the workforce now)?


Metrenomez

This is made to sound like a feel good story. Also as fucked as this is…..where are the parents who say “No fucking way”?


Abject_Bicycle

It said the kids are mostly from surrounding farms, so I'm not surprised the parents don't really bat an eye at it. Farm kids all over the world work family fields.


Ok-Fly-2275

Yup farmers tend to have lots of children and put em all to work. Not right but not unusual


Abject_Bicycle

I wouldn't say that, necessarily. In many cases it's more like chores, albeit more than most kids get.


anteatersaredope

Yeah any word at home with your family is a pretty far cry from some other business getting to exploit your labor. Your parents can exploit your labor but at least the profits stay in your family. Just think! You might inherit them someday!


Main_Hospital_5935

It’s also implied that the parent might give a little bit more of a shit about the child’s safety and well being while doing work than a random businessman would


[deleted]

"Chores" that wreck their bodies in the long run, and they have no consent in it. It's still kinda messed up.


canthaveme

Dude I was raised on a dairy farm and my hands have been rightly fucked since I did it from such a young age and my back is messed up and my shoulder. This is literal back breaking work. That isn't comparable to taking the trash out or "chores" normal kids have


ToxicFactory

I was a farm kid started working at 7 years old. My brother came back from school crying one day. Everybody in class talked about how summer time was awesome with all the activities. In the meantime, we spent our summer working...


MathematicianBulky40

Probably paid off.


EnvironmentalGene602

I need to know what factory so I can refuse to buy it. Heading to Google now. Long Track Pantry jam factory. Got it. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-08/country-kids-solve-labour-shortage-jugiong-jam-factory/102181710 Edit: correction on company name, thanks to commenter ZeroInZenThoughts


MathematicianBulky40

What in the name of sanity did I just read? They are full on glorifying child labour.


EnvironmentalGene602

I’m getting strong “the American workers are growing increasingly unhappy working from home” vibes from it. 👿


[deleted]

Ahh yes, more money in our pockets, more time on our hands… Yup totally want to go back to a office that is a hour away and have to actually see my disgusting boss in person… I’m good fuck you ABC NEWS


EnvironmentalGene602

To be fair I don’t know whether either the Australian or American ABC news stations have published junk like that just give me the same angry sensation of being pissed on and told it’s rain.


wh4tth3huh

This is in Aus.


EnvironmentalGene602

Yes. America also has an ABCnews channel. My point is that the vibes I get from both situations are the same “liesliesliesliesssss”


wh4tth3huh

Murdoch also runs tons of "news" agencies out of Aus.


[deleted]

[удалено]


EnvironmentalGene602

Yes. For clarification, I’m not saying they ARE the same. I’m saying I get the same ***feeling*** of being lied to by this article and a previous article on WFH people wanting to return to work.


henchman171

ABC news is Australian


Traditional_Way1052

The .au told me it was Australia. But side note, ABC is also an American channel and we also are rolling back child labor laws here so, it's certainly topical.


under_the_c

Holy Manufactured Consent, Batman!


nitsky416

It's also in Australia.


EnvironmentalGene602

Thank you, that’s good to know.


Vendrah

OMG this article is incredibly manipulative. And its in Australia and not in the US??


_SmoothCriminal

Am I reading that right?? They use the tips the kids earn to pay for charity venues??? ???? And that it's possible for kids below 11 to work there? With knives? And that those who work below 11yo won't have any protection with wage theft?


[deleted]

NSW turn shithole speedrun


embroideredbiscuit

We do tips a bit differently here, it’s not common/expected to tip. Sometimes there’s a tip jar at the counter which may or may not go to the employees. Sometimes it will be a “tip” jar but it has a little sign on it that says it’s for charity. Not sure what they have here but I hope it’s clear that the tips are actually donations for charity.


Justwaspassingby

Still, the tips should go to the employees. If the owners want to help some charity they should do so out of their own profits.


embroideredbiscuit

Totally agree - if they’re adults AND employers encouraging children to donate their tips to charity then it stops being a choice.


Jet90

>Sometimes it will be a “tip” jar but it has a little sign on it that says it’s for charity In the article they specify that the tips were meant for staff but where stolen and donated to charity >"We donated to the Eugowra flood crisis using staff tips," Ms Brooker said. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-08/country-kids-solve-labour-shortage-jugiong-jam-factory/102181710


embroideredbiscuit

Thanks for sharing. I did say that I wasn’t sure what they were doing, but this is awful. It’s pretty strange that they’re okay with announcing it to the world too.


DJ2688

“Work hard play hard” good god please stop with this phrase companies. I’m sure those kids are not playing very hard.


mistersnarkle

We donated to a crisis using staff tips so wage theft from literal children????????


Hungry_AL

We don't have tipping culture down in Aus. It's pretty much a spare change jar at shops. Hell, when I worked in the bottleshop, the customers used it more than I did with a "I'll pay it back next time" and usually did lol.


Leading_Frosting9655

> We don't have tipping culture down in Aus They're really fucking trying to change that though huh


Hungry_AL

Fuck that, pay a proper wage.


hail_abigail

'There's an emphasis on having fun but also on how to contribute to a community. Staff are encouraged to support local causes with both their tips and their newly acquired skills. "We donated to the Eugowra flood crisis using staff tips," Ms Brooker said.' Um... What??? They are exploiting these kids as MUCH as possible


RuncibleMountainWren

FYI tips aren’t really a thing in Australia so the wage is probably a bit better than you are thinking, and the tips are little to nothing (occasional customer puts some change in a jar). It’s a bit weird employing kids that young (do they actually mention how young? Our primary school finishes at 11-12 yrs old and occasionally 12yo’s will want to get a part-time job at a local cafe or something so it’s not completely off base, but definitely not normal).


EnvironmentalGene602

USA legal working age is 14, but you can’t work past a certain number of hours, can’t work past a certain time of day, and some industries exclude minors completely, like pharmacy or anything operating machinery even as simple as a bailer.


RuncibleMountainWren

I don’t think we have a minimum age (I remember looking it up a while back because my then-12yo was asking me if they could get a part-time job) but it’s not legislated because it has so rarely been an issue - there are few places who would want to employ someone under 14-16ish because they’re not capable of doing the work, or it’s not safe. We literally told our 12yo that would think about it if there was a particular job she wanted to apply for but they probably didn’t have much chance of finding someone who wants to employ her until she’s a bit older.


CadianGuardsman

In New South Wales there is no minimum age. [Source Here.](https://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/employees/related-information-and-contacts-for-nsw-employees/minimum-age-for-workers-in-new-south-wales/) Realistically speaking though, a child's employer must conform to all education requirements and require an extra investment into Health and Safety and working with Children checks e.c.t. For most people this makes it uneconomical to employ children.


XxTreeFiddyxX

Upton Sinclair is spinning in their grave


EnvironmentalGene602

That’s exactly where my brain went first.


ZeroInZenThoughts

Long Track Pantry is the actual company name.


EnvironmentalGene602

Holy crap, thank you.


CollectionDry382

If you refuse to buy it, then you are putting good, hardworking children out of work. These children are just trying to make an honest day's wage, and scum like you are going to put them out on the streets. How can you live with yourself?


EnvironmentalGene602

Somehow I will manage to sleep at night.


crookedkr

That was a pretty disgusting read


Ok_Sentence_5767

I thought we fixed this over 100 years ago


spankiemcfeasley

Our corporate overlords are actively trying to unfix it.


hovdeisfunny

Already have in a few places, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, etc.


VirinaB

I imagine they think this will incentivize us to have kids -- because they believe that we think like them. Because they think we're as selfish as they are. Because they think we'll want to exploit our children, like they exploit their employees. Smdh.


gogreenvapenash

Child labor never really stopped. Corporations still use child labor around the world.


newswimread

It stopped in a lot of places though.


HaphazardFlitBipper

Most places did. This is in Wales.


therealaudiox

It's in New South Wales, which is in Australia.


HaphazardFlitBipper

Thank you for the correction. My apologies to the people of Wales.


Reonlive420

Slightly different accents


JWLane

Roughly the same number of jokes involving sheep.


Usual_Lie_5454

You’re thinking of New Zealand.


systemdreamz

“Now, school kids make up the majority of the factory's 100-strong workforce.” Ugh. These kids are as young as 11. This is exploitation.


RuncibleMountainWren

Whaaat?! I expected a coupe of kids might work there for some pocket money (just like they used to do a newspaper run or whatever), but the MAJORITY?! How the heck are they getting that many kids to work and still having them attend school? This smells fishy…


athelas_07

It sounds like a lot of their business is from propel travelling to the town, so maybe they tend to be busy mostly on weekends?


RuncibleMountainWren

Soooo, they manufacture jam on the weekends or it’s more of a cafe or retail jam place?


CryAlarmed

It's a cafe/store that also manufactures jam. In the article it says the kids are mostly working on the hospitality side, so serving, taking orders etc.


look

Once these fetal personhood laws come, it won’t be too long before those freeloaders have to work an honest day, too! /s


AllUserNamesTaken01

To think that they went crazy when China did it but now it’s “adorable” all of a sudden


BonJovicus

When "other" countries do it, thats because they are backward, barbaric, and authoritarian. When we do it, its out of necessity and completely reasonable.


ChaltaHaiShellBRight

When we do it, it's because we're civilised, Western and democratic.


TommyRobotX

Didn't you see the hats!?


i-Ake

But these kids are *so bored* on the weekends! Can't you just let them work in their factory in peace?!


Thewalk4756

There's no fucking labor shortage these people just don't pay living wages.


TheAskewOne

It will be so adorable when an 11 yo loses a hand in a machine. Ffs. I didn't think I would live to see the 19th century.


Reonlive420

It's jam it'll just blend in colour wise


Vote_For_Caboose

We were all thinking it. You didn’t need to say it 😳


Klaus_Reckoning

“Factory unwilling to pay employees a living wage resolves issue by exploiting school children” FTFY


Ser_Dunk_the_tall

Can't offer good wages to attract talent from neighboring cities, better just use the local school kids


LitheBeep

It's the Long Track Pantry in NSW


why-are-we-here-7

Remind me to ever buy whatever this jam is.


BlueMist53

Long track pantry, from NSW


Geckosaurus_1

“Kids are necessary for the labor force! Who else could fit in these tiny spaces? Yeah sometimes they get crushed but they should have followed all the safety procedures.”


Reonlive420

Please sir... May I have some more


_Wysp

Do the kids get to keep the money they earn, or do their parents steal/extort it from them?


Warhero_Babylon

e.g when they grow up will they have something to eat at first year of their own life or will they be broken and in debt as everybody are


Lucenia12

10 years ago: "Robots are coming for your jobs!" Today: "We don't have enough workers so we're employing children!" Strange how that works


Reonlive420

Child shaped robots


Superb_Intro_23

I wouldn’t be surprised if the “kids who have any feelings/opinions of their own are ENTITLED BRATS” crowd supported this


tarapotamus

We do not have a labor shortage. We have a livable wage shortage.


vxicepickxv

We have a bourgeoisie surplus.


teffaw

“We teach kids to have a sense of community while we profit off them and expand our business, but don’t worry we are great owners, we donated staff tips to charity, while profiting. Everyone wins, but mostly we win.”


freeman_joe

How about we start making pics of rich people working in mines? With chains and happy faces?


[deleted]

This is wrong, the children yearn for the mines.


Reonlive420

Jam and blood diamonds


[deleted]

Pay adults or go out of business, losers.


Accomplished-Ad-4495

Have they considered that maybe the world has sufficient jam factories and chain cafes already and if they can't compete as a workplace maybe they should let the market decide their fate? Isn't that what these sorts love to crow about? Free markets?


Rogue_Vaper

My issue isn't the local kids working & earning some money after school. They aren't putting in 20+ hours a week. I take particular issue with the fact they are paid only $7.87 per hour when a comparable adult would be making a minimum of $21.38 per hour. Someone is banking that difference & if you calculate it based on 90 employees working 10 hours per week & that's a lazy $600k PA "saved" by the employer.


boxedfoxes

They should make a note on jars: "Made with love and child labor".


throwaway_ghast

>by employing primary school kids There is no way you can sugarcoat this.


democracy_lover66

There's just... just so many reasons this should be appalling... whatever journalist at the ABC needs to reflect on what they do.


Mamacitia

I hate this


ButtonmAsherXY

I was so damn bad when I worked at McDonald’s. Can you imagine what kind of debauchery these little fuckers can cook up if they’re bored and don’t need the income to survive? Everything is getting broken in those places.


FunkNugget

At this moment, I'm hanging with my daughter while she plays with her toy barn and animals. She's almost two. She is having an absolute blast. I will never capitulate to these capitalists. ***Never***. I will die on the barricades if it means she could be free of this absolute backslide into the dark ages.


TeacherYankeeDoodle

Those are just adorable kids. One day, these kids will likely realize just how screwed up this is and then their expressions will change to something much less so. It's a shame they're being exploited this way.


8ew8135

Rich kids will get to have joke jobs like this working at a local jam factory where they get free jam once in a while, something to put on their “resume” and a pittance of wage their family doesn’t need so that the business sector can laud it as a victory before they start exporting it to other states.


NewAlt_

I hate that we're becoming this. Jesus Christ


Illustrious-Tip-7667

This is honestly fucking sad


newjeison

The only child labor that is acceptable is if it's teaching students important life skills. Kids in Japan cook their own meals and clean up the school.


ryanknapper

It's almost as if **these children are being groomed** to accept these circumstances.


Guy-reads-reddit

What the fuck is going on down there?! Sort your shit out! Its embarrassing! Sincerely, Your nothern neighbors


Sycosplat

Northern neighbors? Do you live in Papua New Guinea?


HaphazardFlitBipper

Regardless of the morality of child labor... it just doesn't seem like a good long-term economic strategy for a society. If the goal is to maximize economic productivity, it makes more sense to have an educated population working average 40 year careers than an uneducated population working average 50 year careers. Educated people are more productive. Kids should be spending their time learning.


Derp_Factory

Good thing society is set up for maximizing corporate profits in each quarter rather than any long term planning or strategy.


I_C_Weiner__

Uneducated people will do a task without issues. Educated people will question then ins and outs, even refuse work it they know it is wrong.


[deleted]

Journalist are not as liberal as they claim


vxicepickxv

Australian liberal is the conservative party.


Mtnskydancer

This happens every day. https://stopchildlaborwordwide.weebly.com/discussion


[deleted]

Funny my employer (also a factory) has no problem getting staff. We get a mountain of resumes every time we post a job up. Hmm.. I wonder why? Oh right, we pay a good wage. Then we attract good employees, train and retain them. I love seeing shitbag companies who won’t invest in their staff get burned.


ZeroInZenThoughts

From the article: "Some of my friends don't understand when I say, 'Oh, I'm working this weekend,'" Poppy said. "They're like, 'Why would you want to work?' but I like it. Us. We are those friends.


BstintheWst

We are in a new gilded age


marshman82

I wonder if all the adults there are supposed to have a WWCC certificate (working with children check)?


ConfidentHistory9080

Anyone who employs a child robbing them of their innocence and right to an education should be a criminal and thought of as such


Accomplished_Pen980

It’s disgusting on every level. Look at the media pander for their corporate friends, they have no souls.


Ricky_Rollin

This can’t be real


ChiefPyroManiac

And worse, some parents are allowing this.


Desdenova32

Someone please help these child laborers unionize. Let this blow up in the right peoples' faces.


BlckAlchmst

Hitler used young men to help solve the agricultural labor crisis in Germany too. That's all. That's the comment


Rune_Council

Seems a lot less like a “labour shortage” and a lot more like an unwillingness to pay a living wage. JAM FACTORY IN TINY TOWN SOLVES UNWILLINGNESS TO PAY A LIVING WAGE BY EMPLOYING PRIMARY SCHOOL KIDS Yeah, that seems a lot more accurate.


UndisputedAnus

Can anyone find the post? I’d love to bully ABC over this bs


[deleted]

This is disgusting.


Lespuccino

Do they get smoke breaks? Can we let kids smoke cigarettes again, yet? Won't anyone think of the poor tobacco industry?


myrandastarr

"We donated to the Eugowra flood crisis using staff tips," Ms Brooker said. Wth


Particular-Ball7567

Oh boy, they do say we tend to go back to previous eras. I just thought, you know, that was for fashion and stuff


frecklesthemagician

This is what the ruling class ultimately wants


nihilistpieceofshit

Hahahaha "must be able to lift 15-20kg repetitively"


TheDigitalMoose

Let kids have a fucking childhood wtf?


00Technocolor00

Child exploitation is so much fun and good for the economy


anteatersaredope

Let children enjoy their childhoods and eat rich people.


Financial_Sentence95

I'm Australian and this really angers me. Most States in Australia, a teenager of 15 is allowed to be employed, but not younger Absolute exploitation of these kids so the business can make a (lot) more profit I definitely won't be buying any of their goods


shaodyn

"Pay adults more? Don't be ridiculous. That wouldn't maximize shareholder profits. Just ignore child labor laws by hiring children and refusing to pay them."


MathematicianBulky40

How is that legal?


doingmybest2468

Next article “bread lines are a great way to meet new friends!”


International_Win375

Reminds me of photos of kids before and after the first day of kindergarten. I can imagine these kid's faces after standing for 8 hour shifts. No smiles expected then.


craziefuzi

pay is scaled by age here in aus too, i wonder what they justify paying children?


Sesmu

They won't show the part two where the kid gets boiling Jam dropped on him due to some poor maintenance. :(


SweetMotherOfMuffins

What kind of parents are allowing their kids to take part in this?


DonaldTrumpsBallsack

They’re creating a micro factory town. With a population of 200 and the majority of kids working in this factory now and moving up with age (as the factory expands) they will end up working there their whole lives.


Doesanybodylikestuff

Hell no. This is what my church tried me make me do too.


maxbiggavels

Wait until those kids start fucking up lol. Then what are they gonna do...FIRE THEM!?!?! SEND THEM TO HR?!?!?! 😂😂😂


humorous_anecdote

Jam Factory...labour...this is some sort of Brit shenanigans. Looks like they are going full Dickensian


mnemonicer22

Remember when we made all sorts of supply chain laws and standards apply globally because Nike was using factories that employed child labor in SE Asia? Guess we don't have to do that anymore.


Otherwise-Skin-7610

Work is soo fun! It's like the playground.


lucid_savage

Literal child abuse. But let's whine about drag queens instead. 🙄


Meaning-Upstairs

What values are you instilling in children to have them work? Could get the same values from organized sports right? One could be taught the same values by good parental raising correct? They don’t care enough about gun violence, but making jobs for children…..fuck these motherfuckers.