Mattarella: "160 million minors' health is at risk". Unicef's warning: boom in child workers in 2024

" Dropping out of school paves the way for educational poverty, social marginalization and, in the most serious cases, the involvement of minors in illegal activities or under the control of criminal environments . This triggers a vicious circle that compromises, from generation to generation, the growth and development opportunities of minors and their families. The Constitution, in articles 31 and 34, clearly states the duty of the Republic to protect childhood and guarantee the right to education". This was stated by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.

"In recent decades - continues the Head of State - the joint action of governments, international organizations and civil society has removed millions of girls and boys from degrading working conditions, reintroducing them into paths of education, protection and growth. The result of a concerted effort, these results today risk being compromised by global crises, armed conflicts, climate change, and increasing inequalities".

" It is estimated that over 160 million minors in the world are still involved in forms of work that put their health at risk, hindering their development and violating their freedom . They are often invisible children, forced to carry out dangerous work to survive: because hunger is more urgent than childhood, because their schools have been destroyed by bombs, because there are no alternatives or prospects. Submerged situations of exploitation and exclusion are also present in Italy, especially in contexts marked by social and economic fragility". This was stated by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.

"Working for the full affirmation of children's rights is a social duty that measures the civilization and cohesion of a people. It is the foundation on which to build a more just society, capable of responsibly facing present and future challenges". This is what the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, says.

Child Workers, the Unicef ​​Alarm

2024 records a record number of child workers: 80,991 between the ages of 15 and 17. The regions with the highest percentage are: Trentino Alto Adige (21.63% of the child population), Valle D'Aosta (15.34%), Abruzzo (8.46%) followed by Marche (7.57%), Puglia (6.24%) and Sardinia (6.24%). As for accident reports of workers between the ages of 15 and 17, the number rose from 5,816 in 2020 to 18,825 in 2023. There were six fatal accidents in the same age group in the five-year period 2019-2023. This emerges from the 3rd UNICEF Report presented on the occasion of the World Day against the Exploitation of Child Labor, which occurs today.

According to the research "Child labor in Italy: risks, accidents and safety in the workplace": in the post-Covid-19 years, there has been a progressive increase in both employed and self-employed child workers: 51,845 in 2021; 69,601 in 2022; 78,530 in 2023. Up to the record in 2024. The increase is also recorded for workers under 19 years of age: in 2023 there were 415,495 (divided between 258 thousand males and 157 thousand females), compared to 377,440 in 2022 and 310,400 in 2021. With an increase of +35% from 2019 to 2023. As for accident reports by workers between 15 and 17 years of age, the number rose from 5,816 in 2020 to 9,859 in 2021, 17,681 in 2022 and 18,825 in 2023.

In the period between 2019 and 2023, 330,864 accident reports were submitted to Inail at a national level , relating to workers under 19 years of age, of which: 204,369 concerning minors up to 14 years of age and 126,495 in the 15-19 age group. In 2023, there were 50,860 under 14 years of age and 32,197 between 15-19 years of age, an increase compared to 2022. In the period 2019-2023, there were a total of 84 fatal accident reports (11 reports in the <14 age group; 73 reports in the 15-19 age group).

55% of fatal accident reports in the five-year period 2019-2023 were recorded in six regions: Veneto, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont and Calabria. The average weekly per capita income for male workers under 19 years of age ranged from 297 euros in 2018 to 326 euros in 2023, while for women it went from 235 euros in 2018 to 262 euros in 2023.

"On this very important day - commented the president of UNICEF Italy Nicola Graziano - I would like to recall that art. 32 of the Convention itself states that the States Parties recognize the right of every child, boy and girl 'to be protected from economic exploitation and not to be forced to perform any work that is hazardous or likely to jeopardize his or her education or to be harmful to his or her health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development". The Report is presented at 11 in the online meeting "Protecting the rights of working minors" within the "UNICEF Workshops".

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