Following this year’s cotton harvest season (from September 19 to October 31), administrative action has been taken against 3 school principals, 2 directors of professional colleges, 2 managers of farms and 1 head of polyclinics for forcing employees and children under 18 to pick cotton. The total fine amount is 4.7 million soums, the Labour Ministry said.
State legal labor inspectorate also monitored compliance with labor legislation related to child and forced labor. Following this work 14 offenses have been revealed.
Over 500 banners on free recruiting (public offer) for cotton-picking work were placed in all regions and cities of Uzbekistan, to raise public awareness. 100,000 flyers on administrative liability for forced and child labor were distributed among employers and farmers.
This year, on the recommendation of the International Labour Organization, monitoring to prevent forced and child labor in Uzbekistan was conducted exclusively by independent public organizations.
