On Monday, August 20 the 13 year old Avni Ademi died working in a car wash service. The case provides sad and solid evidence that child labour remains a reality in Macedonia. As such, it is abuse of the worst kind, where child labour results in the death of the child. This violates the Convention of children’s rights, the 182 Convention against worst forms of child labour, and also national laws in Macednonia, criticises Dragi Zmijanac, right, the Founding Director and Ambassador of Megjashi, the first children’s embassy in the world. (21-AUG-07)
 
This article is based on information acquired from the First Children´s Embassy in the World – Megjashi. It has been edited for publication here by Rodna Turnovalieva / HRH Skopje.

Avni Ademi, 13, from Gostivar lost his life from an electrical shock while he was using the machine for cleaning cars. He had been working for the car wash service for more than 10 days, planning to use the money he earned to buy school books. A general conclusion is that most employers lack elementary knowledge and understanding of the labour law, in which recruiting children under age of 15 is categorically forbidden. This is despite the fact that Convention 182 against worst forms of child labour is ratified by the Macedonian parliament in 2001.

Childrens Embassy in Macedonia logo.jpg Nearly 250 million children exploited
Megjashi, the First children’s embassy in the world, appeals to the Public Prosecutor of Macedonia to take all necessary measures according to national laws and international regulations and charge the owner of the car wash service where Ademi died with a criminal offence. Additionally, Megjashi has appealed to the labour inspectors to pay more attention to the employers that abuse children as a labour force and thus violating the Labour law in the Republic of Macedonia. There are over 18.000 children in Macedonia that do not go to school. Many of these are victims of child labour abuse. Worldwide, there are over 246 million children in the age between 5-17 whose work capacity is being exploited.

Read more here.