| INDUSTRIES. | LENGTH OF LABOR AND CONDITIONS OF RECESS. | NIGHT LABOR. | LABOR ON THE SEVENTH DAY. |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Art. 4 of the law.) | (Authorization provided by Art. 6 of the law.) | (Authorization provided by Art. 7 of the law.) | |
| I. Spinning and weaving of flax, cotton, hemp and jute (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths of 13 to 16 years: 11½ hours a day, 3 recesses of a total of 1½ hours at least. The recess at mid-day to be at least 1 hour. For children of 12 to 13 years, 6 hours a day; recess, ¼ hour. | ||
| II. Woolen industry (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths under 16: 11¼ hours a day. Recess as in No. 1. | ||
| III. Newspaper printing (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths under 16: 10 hours a day. Several recesses with a total of 1½ hours at least. | ||
| IV. Art industries (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | As for No. III; but for type foundries, the labor of children under 16 is limited to 8 hours a day. | ||
| V. Manufacture of paper, (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For youths of 14 to 16: 10 hours a day. Length of recess: 3 recesses with a total of 1½ hours at least. For children of 12 to 14: 6 hours a day. Recesses: one or more with a total of ½ hour at least. | Authorization for young men of 14 to 16. The length of night labor and recesses is the same as for day labor. | |
| VI. Tobacco and cigars (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For youths of 14 to 16: 10 hours a day. Recesses: 3 with a total of 1½ hours at least. For children of 12 to 14: 6 hours a day. Recesses: one or more with a total of ½ hour at least. | ||
| VII. Manufacture of sugar (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths of less than 16: 10½ hours a day. Recesses: 3 with a total of 1½ hours at least. | Authorization for youths of 14 to 16. The same conditions of labor and recess as for day labor. | |
| VIII. Furniture and industries pertaining to ship-building (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths under 16: 9 hours a day during the months of October to March, and 10 hours a day during the rest of the year. Recesses: 3 with total of 1½ hours at least. The recess at mid-day shall be 1 hour at least. | ||
| IX. Pottery and crockeryware (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths under 16: 10 hours a day. Recess as No. VIII. | ||
| X. Refractory products (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | As for No. IX. | ||
| XI. Glass industry (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | As for Nos. IX and X. | Authorization of night labor, for the glass-tapping, to boys of 14 to 16. The same conditions of labor and recess as by day. | One week in every two, the boys of 14 to 16 can be employed a seventh day at the glass-tapping. On that day the actual labor must not exceed 6 hours, with a recess of ½ hour for rest, and the time necessary for their spiritual devotions. |
| XII. Lucifer matches (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths under 16: 10½ hours a day. Recesses: 3 with a total of 1½ hours at least. One hour at mid-day. During these recesses the workmen leave the premises. | ||
| XIII. Ship-building industry (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths under 16: 8 hours a day during the months of November to February, and 10 hours the rest of the year. Recess: 1 hour during the first months, and 1½ hours during the others. | ||
| XIV. Zinc rolling mills (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | Children from 12 to 14: 5 hours a day. Recess of ½ hour at least. Youths of 14 to 16: 10 hours. Recesses with a total of 1½ hours; noon recess at least 1 hour. | Authorization for youths of 14 to 16. The same conditions of labor and recess as by day. | |
| XV. Crystal and goblet factories (royal decree of December 26, 1892) | For children and youths under 16, who work at glass-making: 10 hours and 20 minutes. Recesses: 3, one of 20 minutes at least, in the morning; one of ½ hour at least, at noon; a third of 20 minutes at least, in the afternoon. | Authorization for youths of 14 to 16. The same conditions of labor and recess as by day. | One week in every two, the youths of 14 to 16 may be employed a seventh day at the manufacture of glass tiles and other analogous labor, which settled glass demands. On that day the actual labor shall not exceed 6 hours, with a recess of ½ hour at least, and the time necessary for their spiritual devotions shall be provided for. |
| XVI. Industries pertaining to clothing (1st category: hosiery, lace, embroidery, tulles and blond lace, wool-braid, etc.), (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths under 16: 11 hours. Recesses: 3 with total of not less than 1½ hours. The mid-day rest shall be at least 1 hour. | ||
| XVII. Industries pertaining to clothing (2d category: tanning, currying, tawing, cord-waining, hat-making, fine linen, toilet and millinery, etc., in so far as the law of December 13, 1889, applies to the establishments where these industries are performed), (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | For children and youths under 16, it must not exceed 10 hours a day. Recesses with a total of at least 1 hour. During these recesses the workmen shall be at liberty to leave the premises. | ||
| XVIII. Bulky mechanical construction (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | Children of 12 to 14: 10 hours. Youths of 14 to 16: 11 hours. Recesses with a total of 1 hour at least. | ||
| XIX. Small mechanical construction (royal decree of December 26, 1892). | In a first group of industries in this branch (Table A), the length of labor of children 12 to 14 shall not exceed 10 hours. For youths of 14 to 16: 11 hours. In the trades enumerated in Tables B, C, D, children and youths of less than 16: 10 hours. Recesses with total of 1½ hours at least. One hour at noon. Free exit from the premises. | ||
| XX. Bricks and tiles “hand-made,” and other similar employments (royal decree of September 22, 1896). | Children and youths under 16: 12 hours a day. Recesses: if the actual day’s labor exceeds 8 hours: 3 recesses with total of 1½ hours at least, at noon. If actual labor exceeds 6, but not 8 hours: 1 or more recesses with total of 1 hour at least. A recess of ¼ hour at least is obligatory after each 4 hours of labor. | ||
| XXI. Window-glass industry; basin kilns; drying ground; pot kilns (royal decree of December 31, 1892). | For children and youths under 16: 10½ hours. Recesses with total of 1½ hours. Each period of labor shall be followed by a complete rest of a duration double that of the labor itself. | Authorization for youths of 14 to 16. The same conditions of recess and labor as by day. | One week in every two, youths of 14 to 16 can be employed the seventh day. |
| XXII. Mining and quarrying (royal decree of March 15, 1893). N. B.—For the coal mines of Mariemont, where the organization of labor is different from that of other coal mines, the royal decree of March 15, 1893, provides a special regulation. | In underground labor, the length of stay, descent and ascent comprises, among children and male youths under 16, 10½ hours. Recess: at least ⅛ of the stay underground. Male children 12 years old may be employed underground after 4 a. m., under the same conditions of labor and recess. For surface labor, the length of labor for children and youths under 16 is 10½ hours. Recess, 1½ hours at least. | Authorization of night labor for male youths of 14 to 16 occupied in cutting out and maintaining the roads and filling up the dumps. Length of labor 10 hours, and recess as by day. | |
| XXIII. Manufacture of coke (royal decree of March 15, 1893). | |||
| A. Ovens for common coke. | Children and youths under 16: 10½ hours. Recess not less than 1½ hours. The principal recess 1 hour. | A. One week in every two, authorization to work a seventh day, for male youths of 14 to 16. Day’s work 8 hours, less the recess of 1 hour and time for religious devotions. | |
| B. Coke ovens for the recovery of by-products. | Children and youths under 16: 10½ hours a day. Recesses with total of 1½ hours. Principal recess 1 hour. | For male youths over 14, authorization for night work. Same length and recess as by day. | B. Same authorization as for No. XXIII A. |
| XXIV. Factories for the agglomeration of coal (briquette factories), (royal decree of March 15, 1893). | Children and youths under 16: 10½ hours. Recesses: a total of at least 1½ hours. Principal recess 1 hour. | ||
| XXV. Quarries and works connected with them (royal decree of March 15, 1893). | For underground labor, the same conditions as for No. XXII. | ||
| For surface labor: 10 hours. In the tool repair shops: 10½ hours. Total recess 1½ hours. | |||
| In the works for cutting and carving the rough products of the quarry: for children and youths from 12 to 16: 8 hours a day, in order to give time for professional instruction. | |||
| XXVI. Metallurgic works governed under the law of April 21, 1810. (Blast furnaces, iron and steel mills, rolling mills, foundries, etc.), (royal decree of March 15, 1893). | Length of labor: 10½ hours a day. Total recess: 1½ hours. Principal recess: ½ hour between 11 and 2 o’clock for the furnace men; 1 hour for the other workmen. | Male youths of 14 to 16 years may work at night, under the same conditions of labor and recess as the day labor. | One week in every two, male youths of 14 to 16 may work a seventh day, in order to feed the blast furnaces and attend to the zinc foundries. Time allowed for religious devotions. |
| XXVII. Preserving and pickling of fish (royal decree of November 3, 1898). | Children and youths under 16: 11 hours. Recesses: 3 with total of 1½ hours when actual labor exceeds 8 hours. When it exceeds 6, but not 8 hours, one or several recesses with a total of 1 hour. A recess of ¼ hour is compulsory after each period of 4 hours’ labor. | Authorization for youths of 14 to 16 to work from 9 p. m. until midnight, during a number of days which shall not exceed thirty a year. Actual labor may never exceed 12 hours. Recesses as by day. | |
| XXVIII. Factories for enamel products (royal decree of November 29, 1898). | Boys of 14 to 16 may be employed at night, one week out of every two, in the work of the enamel cooking ovens. Length of labor and recess as for No. XIX. | ||
In order to give a full account of the extent of the regulation of child labor in Belgium, it was necessary to consider in detail the law of 1889 and the provisions of the various decrees of which we have just spoken. Let us see now how the law and the regulations are applied:
The Application of the Law.
In order to insure the application of the law and to watch its execution, Article 12 prescribes the appointment of officials by the government, whose powers shall be determined by royal decree.
At first the inspection of labor was vested in officers already charged with other powers. This system, condemned by experience in other lands, did not give good results, and a special body of labor inspectors was organized by a royal decree of October 22, 1895.
According to this decree, the inspection of labor and the observance of the execution of the law of 1889 in the mines, quarries and metallurgic works is committed to the engineers of the mines. For all other industries, the service of labor inspection is attached to the Labor Bureau.
This service comprises:
(1) Inspectors of labor in the central administration, residing at Brussels. These officers are six in number: two inspectors-general, three labor inspectors and one female inspector.
(2) Inspectors and deputies residing in the country. There are actually eight labor inspectors in the provincial service and six deputies. The country is divided into nine districts, and the departments of inspection have, on the last occasion, been defined by a ministerial decree of December 16, 1899.
(3) Finally, a certain number of medical inspectors are charged specially with watching over the application of the rules with reference to the healthfulness and safety of the workshops.